Exactly What You Wanted
by your-arms-around-me
Summary: Evil Charming beginning in AU FTL episode 1x21 when the Evil Queen stops Prince Charming's execution and continuing into Storybrooke.
1. In the Carriage

**A/N: I haven't decided whether or not I want this to be one shot or if I want to expand it. If I did, it would turn to a completely AU Storybrooke, I think. If I get enough positive feedback, I'll keep writing for it, so please let me know if you think I should keep going with it.**

* * *

James made his way to the guillotine, having resigned himself to his fate. King George was going to execute him. He was never going to see Snow again. He was going to die.

He was forced to his knees and made to bend. The lunette closed around his neck. He closed his eyes and prayed. _Please let her save me_.

He heard the blade release, but instead of a searing pain followed by darkness, he felt a splash of water followed by a chill. _What's happening?_ He turned his head, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening when he heard a familiar voice along with a clicking of heels against the stones of the courtyard.

"Sorry to drop in on you," said the Evil Queen. James could barely see her past the guillotine once she approached the King. He'd met her previously at a palace event King George had held. "I want the man you _pretend _is your son," she announced.

James saw the expression on George's face change. _How could she possibly know that?_ The Queen smirked, obviously reading the minds of every person in the courtyard. She turned a small circle. "Yes, dears, I know everything," she said, tossing her head as she looked back to George.

James was pulled from his position at the guillotine as the Queen promised he'd still suffer. "How?" George asked.

The shepherd-turned-prince looked to her majesty, hoping to hear why she'd saved his life. "By using him to destroy his one true love." She leaned forward a bit, just enough to emphasize her point. "By using him to bring an end to Snow White."

James' stomach turned as he saw them shake hands on it. "Deal," George said.

The Queen smirked, turned, and made her way back from whence she came. Her knights grabbed James by the arms, leading him away from the guillotine and toward what he was certain would be an even worse demise.

* * *

The Queen arrived at her carriage, where her footman opened the door and escorted her in. He moved to close the door. "_What _do you think you're doing?" She asked venomously. She added a sickly sweet grin as she looked at her prisoner. "My guest hasn't gotten in yet."

James looked at the woman's dark eyes as she smiled mischievously at him. The guards pushed him toward the door, and he remained planted on the ground, looking at the step where he was supposed to place his foot. "Don't be shy," she teased.

He looked up at her again, and for the first time, he realized how attractive she was. He wasn't blind. She was obviously a very good-looking woman, but he never thought he'd be attracted to her.

A foot kicked his shin roughly, knocking him out of his thoughts, and he stepped into the carriage, the door closing behind him.

He sat across from her, facing the opposite direction of which they were travelling. As the carriage began to move, James' eyes flicked toward the door.

"Don't be ridiculous, dear," she said, never looking up as she removed her black gloves. "The doors are sealed with magic." Her head remained tilted downward as she looked up at him from beneath her lids. "No one can get in or out without my permission."

He remained silent, refusing to speak to her. He would not give in to her evil.

A pout appeared on her face. "Well, this is no fun," she teased. "But then again, what did I expect from someone who fell for the unbelievably dull Snow White?"

His face was turning red with anger. It took all of his strength not to lunge at her. She sneered at his reaction and gazed out the window, watching the trees go by as they made their way back to her kingdom. She reached up and smoothed her hair with her left hand, and that's when James saw it.

There was a small ring on the fourth finger, which James deduced certainly wasn't from her late husband. She would have had a pure gold or silver wedding ring from King Leopold. This ring was tiny, and the metal was obviously something much cheaper than gold. Why would she wear such a thing?

"What is so fascinating, _Charming_?"

James looked up as the Queen crossed her legs and straightened her posture again. He was so taken back that he forgot himself. "I was just admiring your ring, Your Majesty," he said.

She held up her right hand, where a much more extravagant ring sat on her middle finger. It was encrusted with diamonds and rubies. "It was a gift from a dear friend," she said. "And please, call me Regina," she told him.

He furrowed his brow slightly. "Okay, _Regina_," he said, unsure of himself. He was surprised to find that he liked the way her name rolled off his tongue. It was an elegant name, fit for a queen such as herself. "But actually, I was referring to the band on your other hand."

She didn't even look down at her hand, but just twisted the ring around her finger. "Ah, yes," she said quietly. "That one is a bit more…sentimental."

He looked at her dark eyes, and he noticed just how empty they were. He could see her sadness regarding the history of the trinket. She quickly snapped back into herself again. "Oh, how rude of me," she said, waving her hand at him. The ties that bound his wrists came undone at the flick of her wrist, freeing his hands to move.

"What are you going to do to Snow?" He asked, suddenly remembering himself.

"First off, you're welcome," she said, gesturing to his now free hands. "Secondly, where is the fun in revealing my master plan now?"

She reached for the buttons on her red velvet coat, deftly unfastening them and shrugging the article of clothing off her shoulders. Underneath was a lace shirt that was flesh-colored. The top fit loosely around her collarbone, and a black strap fastened around her neck firmly.

The part of the piece that covered her breasts and stomach, however, was a black leather corset that matched the tight-fitting pants she wore. He noted that she was one of only two women he knew that ever wore pants like a man. The other was Snow.

_Snow_. He checked himself, but it was too late. Regina had already noticed his eyes roaming over her body as she removed the pesky coat. "Like what you see, Charming?" She asked, using Snow's name for him once again.

"Don't call me that," he said angrily.

A pout appeared on her face again. "What?" She asked, her hand grasping his knee and working its way up his thigh. "Missing your dear Snow?"

He batted the hand away, and she instantly pinned his arms above his head with her magic. "Tsk tsk." She shook her head and put her hands on his knees, allowing them to move firmly up his thigh.

He squirmed, trying to escape her hold, but it was no use. He was powerless against her. Not only because of her hold on him, but also because he'd fallen prey to her sensuality.

This did not go unnoticed by the Queen. Her eyes fell on the man's growing bulge and she smiled with delight. "Well, this is going to be _very _enjoyable," she said. She grasped him through his pants, causing a gasp to escape his mouth. She moved to her feet and bent to him, hovering just a centimeter away from his lips. With her low, sultry voice, she said, "You're mine now."

She closed the miniscule space between them in a bruising kiss. "No," he said into her mouth, trying to pull away from her. She moved her lips from his and attended to his neck, sucking and nipping at it, finally eliciting a growl from the man's throat. His resolve was weakening.

She returned to his mouth and he astonished himself by allowing her tongue to enter. She tasted of apples and cinnamon. It was invigorating.

Regina pulled away from him and sat where she had been before, leaving the shepherd-turned-prince with his mouth open, panting for air. She turned her attention to her black boots, which she unzipped slowly as he watched her every move. His erection was pressing against the fabric of his pants uncomfortably, which Regina could easily see. Eventually the boots and leather pants were gone and the Queen turned her attention to the man's shirt.

Agonizingly slowly, she unlaced his overshirt and tugged the white undershirt over his head, revealing his toned muscles. _Yes, that will do nicely_, she thought to herself, grinning wickedly.

With a wave of her hand, the magic pinning his arms to the wall of the carriage was lifted and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a messy kiss. She ran her long nails down his torso, and he cringed from the sinful combination of pain and pleasure as he bit her lip, causing her to moan.

With a wave of her hand, her corset was gone, leaving her naked, straddling his lap. She grinded against him and he groaned, desperate for release. He reached between her legs and brushed his fingers over her clit, causing her to shiver. She moved her hands and unfastened his pants, releasing his throbbing erection.

She took it in one hand and began slowly pumping it, her mouth grazing over his as he moaned. He couldn't take it any longer. He had to have her.

He pushed her off so she was lying on the floor of the carriage and climbed on top of her, leaning down and taking a nipple in his mouth. She shuddered as he lightly bit it.

James looked into the Queen's lust-filled eyes. They both wanted this. No matter how much he wanted to pretend he was under a spell or how much she wanted to believe this was just her revenge, they couldn't deny that at that moment they were exactly what the other wanted.

He ran his cock over her entrance and she bucked in his direction, her body begging him for release.

When he finally thrust into her, he filled her completely, causing her to cry out loudly, "Oh my god!" Her body had never felt so much pleasure. He rubbed her clit with his thumb as he thrust into her, making her entire body shake in unbelievable ecstasy.

She sat up and kissed him again as he continued his movements, bringing her to the edge. "James," she breathed his name, and they both climaxed, her vagina contracting around him as they rode out the orgasm.

He collapsed on top of her, their bodies glistening with sweat as they tried to catch their breaths. "This means nothing," he insisted, breathing heavily against her neck.

She stared up at the ceiling, and with a smirk, she said, "Of course not, dear."


	2. Not So Incorruptible

Regina stood in her new home, the one created by the curse. The entire town was frozen until she decided exactly what was going to happen. She had to name every person she had cursed. It was going to be tedious, but perhaps it would be fun.

Until the curse was completely enacted, she would be able to use magic here. She walked up to the mirror and waved her hand. It began to show her images of the people in her new town, Storybrooke.

The first to come up: Snow White. The Queen looked at the mirror with disdain. A schoolteacher, she decided, would be the girl's profession. As for a name, "Mary-Margaret Blanchard," she said aloud.

The next image was of Granny. Regina had always had a grudging respect for the old woman. She was strong and completely unafraid of her. She gave her a new name and put her in charge of the inn and diner. When the woman's granddaughter showed up, Regina decided she'd keep them together. Red—now Ruby—reminded her a bit of her younger self.

Regina continued to name the people in her town and give them jobs, identities, and pasts. Finally, Prince Charming appeared in the mirror, causing the queen's heart to flutter in her chest.

* * *

"_Leave us." The guards quickly exited the chamber, leaving their Queen to her prisoner. She flung the door to the cell open and stepped inside._

_She eyed the prince hungrily. It had been three days since their encounter in the carriage. They had not laid eyes on each other since. She looked at him, his chiseled jaw clenched in anger, his strong hands balled into fists by his sides. He was gorgeous. She wanted to have him again._

"_I suppose I do see the attraction," she teased as she placed a hand on his chest. He quickly slapped her hand aside, refusing to succumb to her again. "I wonder if you'll be so incorruptible after your precious Snow White is gone."_

_He'd had enough already. He grabbed her by the throat and pressed her to the bars. He was angry, but below the belt, his body betrayed his mind._

_The Queen didn't even fight back. She knew that if things went too far, she could easily turn the tables with magic. And there was something incredibly erotic about Prince Charming dominating her. "I will kill you," he spat._

"_Oh, no you won't," she said, her eyes quickly moving to his crotch. "Because you simply cannot resist me." She ground into his member a bit, just enough to make him release his hold. She pivoted, pressing him between her and the bars of the cell. She gripped the bars on either side of him. "Now," she said, dangerously close to him. "Are you going to pretend you don't want this," she licked her lips seductively. "Or are you going to take the Queen now?"_

_James froze for a moment before hungrily pressing his mouth to hers, turning them so that once more, she was pressed against the cold iron of the cell. "You bitch," he growled._

_She let out a throaty snicker as he ripped the front of the corset open with his hands, moving them to those perfect breasts. He pinched one nipple, causing her to gasp into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Almost instantly, all of her clothes were gone, lying in a pool of deep purple on the floor of the cell. She reached a hand up, pulling the clips from her hair and allowing the dark waves to fall about her shoulders._

_As he toyed with her breasts, she moved her attention to his shirt, craving the skin-on-skin contact. When his torso was uncovered, he pulled her to him tightly, kissing her neck and moving his kisses down her torso until he reached her wet center._

_His mouth made contact and she arched her back, the cold iron bars pressing into her shoulders. He bit her clit, causing waves of pleasure to wash over her. She reached down and grabbed his hair, pressing his mouth to her pussy. His tongue flicked in and out as he rubbed her most sensitive spot with his thumb. _

_Before she had a chance to climax, he stood again, hovering only centimeters away from her lips. "I hate you," he told her angrily before closing the space between their mouths again._

_She moaned as he pressed himself against her. Her center was dripping in dire need of release. He pulled away from her, stepping back several feet and beginning to remove his pants slowly. His eyes bore into hers. "I want you to beg for it," he told her._

_The Queen's eyebrows raised. She **never **would have expected this from James. But she liked that she was able to ignite his rougher side. She didn't want him to make love to her like he would his precious Snow. She wanted him to fuck her. "Please," she breathed._

_His pants fell to the floor and he stepped out of them. "What was that?" He asked, moving a few steps toward her._

"_Please fuck me," she moaned._

_He flipped her around, pressing her front to the bars and moved his mouth to her ear. "As you wish, Your Majesty," he whispered._

_He bent her over and instantly thrust himself into her roughly. Her warmth felt incredible around his manhood. He squeezed her hips, pulling her to meet his every thrust. She gripped the bars tightly, her head reared back. Her body was completely overtaken by the immense pleasure. She reached down to rub the sensitive bud between her legs, but was interrupted when a strong hand tangled in her hair and pulled her to a standing position. The thrusting stopped, causing Regina to squirm in an attempt to relieve the pressure._

"_You don't get to help," he growled, reaching his other hand around to her clit. He rubbed as he began to thrust again while sucking roughly on her neck._

"_Oh, fuck, James," she moaned as she approached her climax. She reached her arms back, her nails digging into his hips as he penetrated her. He continued pressing into her. She turned her head and whispered in his ear, "Come for me, __**Charming**_**.**"

_He angrily thrust into her three more times, his seed filling her insides as he bit her neck. They rode out his orgasm for a moment before tears started to sting his eyes as he realized what he had done. He pulled out of her and hated himself again for missing the feeling of being inside her. He hated himself for enjoying fucking the Queen._

_She could feel the remorse radiating from him. She didn't expect him to be happy and in love. This was purely about her revenge. _

_But she couldn't deny it was the best sex she'd ever had._

* * *

A smile crossed her lips at the memory of that particular encounter. Regina stared at the man in the mirror, trying to come up with a name.

"D—" she stopped herself briefly before correcting. She would not give him that name. "David," she breathed. "David Nolan."


	3. No Gaps

**A/N: This chapter takes place the first day of the curse. This is a very short chapter compared to what I usually write, but I'm trying to divide it up into small chunks. Enjoy!**

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David Nolan jolted awake in bed, erotic images of the mayor having flooded his dreams. His sheets were soaked with sweat and his breath was heavy. He looked at the clock. _4:15AM_. "Goddammit," he muttered, kicking the sheets off and making his way across the apartment to the kitchen for a glass of water.

He filled up the glass and took a long sip, the cool water easing his dry throat. He glanced out the window, where he could see into the mayor's garden. The images from his dream came back to him. He could almost feel her. The way her nails raked against his back. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Her warmth enveloping his hardness.

It was as if it was a memory instead of a dream.

He shook his head, returning from his thoughts. Looking down at the tent being created in his boxers, he thought to himself, _I'm certainly not going to be able to sleep now._He moved to his bathroom and turned on the shower before stepping into the cold water.

* * *

One of the annoying things about being the one who enacted the curse was having to remember everyone's new names and the histories she'd given them. Regina constantly wanted to refer to people by their true names, but she was able to contain herself and remember the names she had given them. When she felt she was going to slip, she resorted to calling them _dear_.

She walked into the diner, where she saw Ruby standing behind the counter, texting on her phone. Then it dawned on Regina. She could start over here. She could be whatever she wanted. And that meant she could actually have friends. She figured she'd start with Ruby. "Hello, Ruby," she said.

"Madame Mayor," Ruby greeted. "What can I get for you?"

"Can I just get some coffee?" She asked, sitting and placing her bag on the stool next to her. When Ruby turned around and placed the cup in front of her, Regina said, "So how are you today?"

"Oh, you know," she said. "Granny's working me to death. I've hardly had any time to see Billy lately."

As Ruby chattered on about her week, Regina was astonished at the effectiveness of the curse. There seemed to be no gaps in Ruby's memory of her life in Storybrooke. It was as if she really had lived here her whole life. "You seem like you're having a good day. You're practically glowing," the girl said.

"It's a lovely day. I honestly have no complaints," Regina told her, sipping the hot drink.

"That's good," Ruby said with a smile. Regina was so unaccustomed to kindness that the conversation threw her a bit. It was so easy to be nice when no one expected her to be the evil queen. _I could get used to this._

"Ruby!" Called a voice from the kitchen.

"Coming, Granny!" The waitress called back. "You need anything else before I head back there?" She asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," the mayor responded. She sat at the counter, sipping her coffee and observing the people around her. No one was staring at her in fear or trying to kill her. They were all just enjoying their mornings.

She turned when she heard the door to the diner open at the hand of the former Prince Charming. They made eye contact, and Regina smiled in a friendly way. His reaction was odd. His face paled and his eyes darted away as he moved to a booth, unable to get away from her fast enough.

She furrowed her brow before grabbing her purse and coffee cup. "Mind if I join you?" She asked, standing next to his table. The man looked up at her and nodded silently. "So what are your plans for the day, Mr. Nolan?"

"I've got work to do over at the animal shelter," he said. "We're having an adoption fair this weekend."

During the entire exchange, she noted that he hadn't looked her in the eyes. "David?" She lowered herself so her face was in his line of vision. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I should go," he said quickly, running out of the diner.

"But you—" the door closed. "Didn't order anything," she finished, utterly confused by his actions. He certainly didn't remember who she was. The curse made that impossible.

"What the hell is going on with David?" Ruby asked, walking over to the mayor.

Regina looked out the window, where David was quickly walking away, scratching his head exasperatedly. "I have no idea."

* * *

**Got some awkward David going on here. I hope you liked it. I'm currently working on three separate Evil Charming fics. One will be put up after this week's episode. It's based in FTL in an AU where they grew up together. I'm waiting for the new episode because we're going to find out his real name, and that's how I want to refer to him.**

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly where I want to go with it, so any ideas are totally welcome. Prompts are lovely.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Taking a Walk

**A/N: Here's another short chapter for you. I'll try to put in small installments every day.**

* * *

_5 days later – Thursday night/Friday morning_

_Painted lips sucked and bit down the length of his neck. He could feel himself growing harder against her lower. She took his earlobe in her mouth and tugged at it with her teeth, causing him to release a gruff moan. _

_"You're mine now," she purred into his ear as she took his length in her hand, rubbing it against her entrance._

_"Please," he whispered as she raked the nails of her free hand down his chest._

_She positioned him at her entrance and he cried out as he thrust into her._

"Regina!" David bolted upright in his bed for the fifth time that week, breathlessly calling out her name. He had been completely unable to keep the mayor out of his dreams. He couldn't figure out why his subconscious was so desperate for him to feel her body against his, but it was seriously diminishing the amount of sleep he was getting. He would fall asleep around midnight only to be woken sometime in the four o'clock hour by mirages of the mayor's perfect body pressing against his own.

* * *

Regina walked down the sidewalk, trying to clear her head. She missed her father terribly. She hadn't even been able to mourn him since she'd enacted the curse. So she just walked, allowing herself to cry, the cool January air stinging her lungs with each inhale. It was five o'clock in the morning. No one was around, so she was able to let her feelings out. She felt so terribly alone.

She turned the corner, her body crashing into someone else.

"Sorry," she said, quickly wiping the tears from her face. She finally looked up, only to see David Nolan looking down at her in shock.

"Sorry, Regina," he said as he breezed past her.

"David!" She called. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her, eyes focused on the ground. "Is everything okay? You've been acting strange lately."

David's eyes caught a glimpse of her heels, and it was all downhill from there. His gaze wandered up her legs, and he silently thanked the lord that she was turned sideways, giving him a fantastic view of her pert backside, the smooth fabric of her pencil skirt accentuating the curve deliciously. He continued up past her flat stomach to her chest, where her perky breasts pressed against her shirt just enough to be sexy without threatening to burst from the fabric. His vision traced the contour of her neck to the plump lips that he wanted to kiss so desperately. Her raven hair was flecked with the white snowflakes that had begun to fall around them.

Regina waited for him to finish ogling her body. She was perfectly flattered, but the former prince wasn't very subtle, so she was reduced to waiting until his gaze finally met hers. She quirked an eyebrow knowingly, causing him to blush. He'd been caught.

She took a few steps toward him, her face softening. "What's wrong, David?" She placed a hand on his shoulder and ran her hand down his leather-clad arm. Her hand grazed his for an instant before falling back to her side.

His mouth hung open a bit as he watched her mouth move. The feeling of her fingers running down his arm was too much to bear. Just as her hand left his, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them by capturing her mouth in his as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She didn't resist, instead allowing him to enter her mouth with his tongue.

She stood there, her mouth moving against his, and for a moment, she forgot who they were. She forgot that he was Prince Charming and she, the Evil Queen. She forgot about how he despised her and that their sexual encounters had been filled with nothing but hate and a desperate desire to forget their pain. For a moment, she remembered what it was like to not be consumed by her hatred.

They finally pulled apart, his forehead resting on hers as he looked into her dark eyes. "So is this why you've been acting so strange lately?" She asked with a small laugh.

He chuckled along with her, his smile confirming her assumption. There was true joy on his face. Joy that she hadn't seen or felt in a very long time.

He kissed her again, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, David Nolan was the one who could mend her broken heart.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Reviews are love! :)


	5. Laughter

Two days later – Saturday

David hadn't seen the mayor since their kiss two days before. It seemed like now that he wanted to see her around, he didn't have the pleasure of running into her anywhere.

He bent down and picked up Lady, the ten-month-old cocker spaniel at his feet, putting her in a cage. The adoption fair was that day, so he was taking the animals out to the square in hopes that they would get adopted.

He walked out of the shelter and heard a voice. "David!" Mary-Margaret approached him with a smile. She was a very sweet girl, and he liked her. Just not the way she wished he would. "What an adorable dog," she said, attempting to keep up with his pace as he made his way to the square.

"Yeah, she's great." He smiled. "She's very sweet." He reached his finger through the cage and scratched the dog under her chin as she panted eagerly. "Think you're gonna get adopted today, Lady?" He asked as he put her cage down on the ground. Crates lines the sidewalk. There were lots of animals up for adoption today, and David really hoped they would get taken home.

Mary-Margaret leaned down and stuck her finger between the bars, letting Lady give her little kisses. "Best of luck to you," she said before standing back up again. "I'm going to go walk around," she said a bit awkwardly.

"See you," he said, waving his hand.

Lady was the last animal to be brought out, so David took it upon himself to walk down the sidewalk, checking out the many people who were considering adopting the animals. It made him smile whenever he saw people heading off with their new pets.

A few minutes later, he ended up back near where he started. Mary-Margaret had managed to attach herself to his side once more. A considerable crowd had formed in the square, but when the people in front of him moved, he saw her. The mayor was squatting down, petting a certain cocker spaniel through the bars of her crate.

He escaped Mary-Margaret's side, much to her chagrin. "Want to hold her?" His voice startled Regina a bit, but when she looked up, a smile formed on her face. "Hey," he said.

She chuckled. "Usually the 'hey' comes first," she teased. "And yes, I would love to."

He opened the crate and Lady happily came out of the crate and lifted her front paws, knowing that David was about to pick her up.

"She's so sweet," Regina said as David placed the dog in her arms. Almost immediately the animal started licking the mayor's fingers, causing the woman to giggle.

"She likes you," he said, his eyes never leaving the woman's face.

She looked up and met his gaze, the smile on her face widening at the sight of his blue eyes. "I like her," she told him. She moved to sit on the nearby bench. Lady immediately curled up in her lap and closed her eyes, falling asleep peacefully in the midst of the crowd.

He sat down next to her. "So, Regina," he said. "What would you say if I asked you to accompany me to dinner tonight?"

She looked up from the dog in her lap. "I would say, 'I would love to, but I have a new dog to take care of,'" she told him.

He didn't falter a single bit. "So what if I asked you if you would like to sit on your couch and watch a movie so you wouldn't have to leave your new puppy alone on her first night at your house?"

She smiled. "I would say that I think that's a lovely idea."

"So, Regina," he said in a way that made her laugh. "Would you like to watch a movie with me tonight at your house?"

The smile remained on her face. "I would." There was a comfortable silence between them as she pet the sleeping animal on her lap. "Do you like lasagna?" She asked.

"Who doesn't?" They laughed together.

Regina honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed this much. It must have been with Daniel, back in the days when she wasn't corrupted by her hatred. She had of course laughed since then, but it was usually a laugh that she recognized as the Evil Queen's, not Regina's. It was wicked laughter. These laughs she'd been sharing with David were friendly, sometimes even flirtatious. "Well, then I'll have to make some of my world-famous lasagna tonight."

"That sounds wonderful," he told her. "I'm going to get the papers you need to sign." He paused and leaned toward her. "Would it be terribly inappropriate of me to kiss you right now?"

She blushed. "I think it would be, yes."

He quirked his mouth to the side. "Fine," he said. "I'll just have to wait until later tonight." He flashed her a smile before he made his way to get the papers.

A few minutes later, she had signed the documents that would finalize her adoption of Lady. "I should probably go pick up some things to make her more comfortable," she said, holding her new puppy in one arm. The animal licked her on the cheek.

"Hm…"

She looked at him curiously. "What?" She asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking how unfair it is that Lady gets to kiss you and I don't," he teased.

She blushed again. _What is wrong with me? _She was behaving like a teenager all over again.

"I'll see you at seven," she said, deciding on a time for their date.

"Seven it is."


	6. First Date

**I am so sorry about the trouble getting this story uploaded. For some reason, it wouldn't show up! But it's here now, and I hope you enjoy it. :)**

* * *

Regina Mills stood in her closet in her bra and a pair of yoga pants, contemplating her choice of clothing for the night. She wanted to look good, but not like she was trying too hard. _What is wrong with me? _How had she allowed the former prince to get under her skin like this? She was actually nervous about seeing him.

Lady sat at her feet, staring up at her. The way she was panting with her tongue hanging out made it look like she was smiling. "What do you think I should wear?" She asked the puppy. Lady moved about playfully before standing up on her hind legs and pawing at a shirt.

Regina laughed and pulled it off the hanger, putting it on over her head. It was a purple dress with a scoop neck that fell just low enough without becoming raunchy. It cut off a bit above the knees She furrowed her eyebrows and looked down at the cocker spaniel. "Good job," she said. "How the hell are you so good at this?" The puppy just wagged her tail excitedly and nudged a black pump toward the mayor.

She slipped the heels on her feet and moved back to the bathroom, where she swiped a coat of lipstick on her mouth. She looked at herself in the mirror, pleased that for once she wouldn't be surprised by the genie's face appearing. She nodded, happy with how she looked, and made her way downstairs, where she put the lasagna in the oven.

She took a breath and smoothed her dress, looking at the puppy that had followed her into the kitchen. She squatted down and scratched her behind the ear. "Ready to see David?" Lady started wagging her tail even more at the mention of her former caretaker. "You have so much personality. How do you even understand what I'm saying to you?" She cocked her head, seemingly perplexed by her owner's question. She moved to the back door and let Lady go outside for a moment to relieve herself. The puppy quickly made her way back inside, and Regina was thankful that David had potty trained Lady.

Regina continued to move around the main level, tidying up to pass the time until David arrived. A while later, she looked up at the sound of the doorbell as Lady bolted toward the door. She walked to the front door and picked up the puppy. "Thanks for your help," she whispered, receiving a lick to the face. She wiped the slobber off and opened the door.

Standing in front of her was David Nolan, dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans and a blue button-down shirt with a leather jacket. It was a nice change from his usual flannel shirt and tee. He held a single yellow rose. His face lit up when he saw her. And she couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips when she saw him. "Hi," he said.

"Hello," she responded. "Come in." She moved aside, allowing him to step across the threshold. She closed the door and set Lady down. The dog immediately stood on her hind legs, waiting for David to pet her. He reached down and scratched her behind the ear before returning his attention to the woman in front of him.

"This is for you," David said, offering the flower. She moved to sniff it. She loved roses, no matter how cliché it might seem. As she inhaled the scent, David placed a kiss on her cheek, lingering a bit. "You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear before pulling away.

The sound made her weak in the knees. His voice had become husky when he spoke, and the breath making contact with her ear caused shivers to run down her spine. She didn't know why he was having this effect on her. "Can I get you a drink?" She asked.

"Sounds great," he responded with a smile as he followed her to the kitchen.

She moved to one of the cabinets and took out a vase, which she filled with water for the rose. He watched her move, her hips swaying with every step. She looked incredibly sexy as her long legs carried her from place to place. She poured them both a glass of red wine. "So how was the rest of the adoption fair?"

He almost missed the question as his eyes were completely focused on her plump lips meeting the glass. "It was great," he responded. "A lot of animals found homes today." He looked down at his feet where Lady was sitting. "Including my favorite dog," he said, leaning down to scratch her head again.

"Well, I don't see how she didn't find a home sooner," Regina said. "She's an absolute sweetheart."

"I told you so." He reached into his pockets and produced three DVDs. "I brought choices," he said. "I've got _The Blind Side, The Breakfast Club_, and _The Princess Bride_."

She looked at the cases of the movies. "Hmm…" She pondered. She determined she couldn't decide, so she closed her eyes and pointed.

"_Princess Bride_,it is," he said with a smile.

The mayor smiled back at him and moved toward the oven to check the lasagna. It still had a couple minutes left.

When she turned back, she was met by calloused hands pulling her close and strong lips pressing to her. After a few seconds, he pulled away, leaving her speechless. "Sorry. I couldn't resist any longer," he said with a chuckle.

She laughed in response. "Well, dear, we'll have to work on your self control if you can't make it five minutes," she teased. She brought her lips up to his again. "But I'm glad you didn't wait too long."

* * *

After dinner they sat on the couch with glasses of wine and watched the movie. Lady curled up sweetly on the ground in front of them. Every once in a while, he'd look over, where she'd be laughing at one of the many jokes of the movie. Her smile was absolutely gorgeous, and he wondered for a brief moment why she didn't show it very often. He returned his focus to the movie.

He couldn't focus on it for too long though. He didn't like the distance between them. So he reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a bit closer to him. She moved to him willingly, resting her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for the remainder of the movie, David occasionally tracing little circles on her shoulder and kissing her hair once or twice. It was nice. It felt so natural to sit there with her in his arms.

"So," he said with a smile as the credits rolled. "What did you think?"

"I really liked it," she said with a smile.

She was so very close to his face, and he couldn't help but remove the space between them with another gentle kiss. "I really like that, too," she continued as their lips parted.

"Well, that's good because I plan on doing it often," he replied, leaning in to her again.

When their lips met, the entire world melted away. It was as if they were the only two people on earth. But he couldn't help but feel there was something oddly familiar about it. He knew he'd never been with her before, but it felt almost as though he'd known her in another life.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think! **


	7. Valentine's Day

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I wanted to save it for today though. Smut alert!**

* * *

Regina made her way down the street to the diner. She and David had been dating for a little over a month and the mayor legitimately couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy. It had to have been with Daniel.

She used to sneak out of her room at night to meet him. They'd meet on a hill nearby and lie in the grass, watching the stars in each other's embrace. She'd loved him so much. And he was taken from her so cruelly.

She never thought she could find someone who made her feel romantically fulfilled. She'd had many sexual experiences with men, but she always felt empty afterward. She would lie there, trying to imagine that it was Daniel. But she couldn't. Daniel was caring. Every bit of contact made her body tingle when she was with him. Every other time she'd been with a man, she hadn't fully enjoyed it. With Leopold, there was nothing pleasant about it. He wanted an heir, and he was going to use her to get it. The huntsman, while an excellent partner once he stopped resisting, couldn't feel anything for her, leaving her sexually satisfied but emotionally empty. And it was the same with all of her other encounters.

Until David. Here in Storybrooke, he made her feel safe. He had genuine feelings for her. He was kind and gentle, never pushing her past what she was ready for.

The problem was that they hadn't actually had sex since being here. For some reason, Regina was nervous about it. _It's not like we haven't had sex before_, she thought to herself. But this time would be different. It wouldn't be like when they'd had angry, hateful sex back home. This time, they were in a relationship. He cared for her, and she had been surprised that she truly cared for him as well.

She walked into the diner and took a seat at the counter. "Good morning, Regina," said Ruby.

"Good morning, dear," the mayor said as Ruby placed a cup of coffee in front of her. Since ending up in Storybrooke, Regina had found a very good friend in the waitress. She really enjoyed spending time with the girl.

"You and David have some hot plans for Valentine's Day?" Ruby asked, leaning on the counter.

_Valentine's Day? _"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's Valentine's Day! You know, flowers, candy, everybody being all mushy and _in love_."

Regina had no idea what this was about. There was no such day back home. But she did have plans with David for that night. "We're going out to dinner," she said, sipping her coffee.

"Are you two finally going to have sex?" Ruby bluntly asked.

"Ruby!"

"Well, a month in, Billy and I were already doing it like rabbits!" She said.

Regina laughed at the comment. She liked that even when she was nervous or upset, Ruby could find a way to make her laugh. "Well, the truth is that… it's been a long time since I've had a pleasant… intimate experience."

"Seriously?" Ruby said.

"It hasn't always been easy for me to find a man who wanted me in that way."

Ruby shook her head, trying to wrap her brain around the idea. "Regina, how is that even possible? You're fucking gorgeous!"

Regina laughed again. "Oh, I've had plenty of sex, dear," she said. "But it's been a long time since I was in love with a man. I was married very young. My mother forced me into a marriage with a much older man. It was a difficult time for me," she said. "But then he died. That was when I came here."

The waitress looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry Regina." She covered the mayor's hand with her own. "But now you have David," she said with a smile. "And he is crazy about you. _Believe me_," she said. Regina tilted her head in a silent request for more information. "He and I are pretty good friends, too. And he's constantly talking about how much he likes you."

The mayor blushed, a smile creeping to her face. "Thanks, Ruby." She finished her coffee and paid before heading to work.

* * *

Regina sat at her desk at the office, looking at the contracts regarding a new playground for the children. She was only half paying attention to them, though. She was instead thinking about the conversation she'd had with Ruby earlier. She suddenly wasn't so nervous about being with David. She smiled, glad she finally had a friend she could confide in to help her with these kinds of things.

"Madame Mayor?" Her assistant's voice came over the receiver, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Mr. Nolan is here to see you."

Regina smiled. "Send him in," she said. She quickly moved to the mirror and checked her hair.

"Hey," he said with a smile. He quickly moved toward her, picking her up and spinning her around. He was grinning like an idiot, but it was adorable, and she couldn't help but laugh as he spun her in the air. Still holding her, he placed a kiss on her lips.

"Someone's in a great mood," she said with a smile.

"Well, it's a beautiful day, I got off work early, I am holding a gorgeous woman in my arms, and I get to spend my night with her." He kissed her again before returning her feet to the ground. "Nothing can bring me down today," he said.

She kissed him again. "So is there a particular reason you came to see me?"

"I just wanted to kiss you," he said before bringing his lips to hers again.

She let out a hum of approval at the contact. "I like that," she told him, only briefly breaking the kiss. She ran her tongue across his bottom lip before gently nipping it with her teeth. He let out a small moan and pulled her closer.

"Madame Mayor, Mr. Gold is here to see you." The sound of the phone stopped them.

"Goddammit," David said as Regina moved to the phone. "Can't you just tell him you're busy? I was hoping to take you to lunch."

"Oh, is that what the kids are calling it these days?" She teased. She pressed the button on her desk phone. "Just a moment, Margie." She walked back over to David and kissed him. "I'm sorry," she said. "The town is buying land from him to build a playground, and I don't want to risk irritating him." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to reach his ear. "But I promise I'll make it up to you tonight," she whispered.

She felt his heartbeat quicken as she flicked her tongue over his earlobe. "Do you have _any _idea what you do to me?" He groaned into her ear.

"I have some clue," she said with a coy smile. "I'll see you tonight."

He gave her another kiss. "See you tonight."

* * *

Regina finished doing her hair and makeup and moved out to her bedroom where she'd laid out her clothing for the night on the bed. Her stomach twisted with the combination of nerves and excitement. She was about to get dressed when she started hearing music. "What the hell is that?"

_In your eyes, the light, the heat._

She looked around the room, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.

_In your eyes I want to be that complete._

Lady's ears perked up at the sound of the music and she ran to the window.

_I want to touch the light, the heat I see in your eyes._

Regina walked over to the window, where she saw David standing in front of her apple tree, holding a boombox over his head. She laughed to herself and opened the window, sitting on the ledge.

"You're adorable, you know that?" She shouted to him.

"Yeah, I take pride in my charm," he said, a wide grin on his face. She laughed inside at his word choice. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

She couldn't have wiped the smile off her face if she tried. "Come around to the front. The door is unlocked. I'll be down in a minute," she told him.

Regina changed and made her way downstairs, where David was waiting in the foyer. He looked up as she descended the stairs, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. She was wearing a deep V-neck dark red dress that hugged her every curve and cut off mid-thigh with a pair of black heels. "Wow," he breathed. "You look incredible."

She smiled as her foot hit the floor. "Thank you, dear." She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. At first it was slow and sensual, but it quickly became more urgent. He pulled her closer to him, pressing their bodies together. She pulled her lips away for a second as they both gasped for air. "Do we really need to go to dinner?" She quickly asked.

Without missing a beat, he replied, "Not at all." He held her face between his hands, pulling her into a bruising kiss as he pushed her against the wall, moving his hands down her body to find her waist again. Her hands ran through his hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss as she slowly moved one leg up, her thigh reaching his waist. David grounded himself against her center, causing her back to arch.

He moved his attention to her neck, eagerly trailing kisses down it. "What do you say we take this to the bedroom?" She whispered.

He lightly bit her earlobe and reached his hand behind her standing leg, pulling it up so she was completely supported between him and the wall. She moved her mouth to his neck as he carried her upstairs.

When they reached the bedroom, David placed her on her feet once more. They immediately kicked off their shoes as his mouth made contact with hers once more. She then made work of the buttons on his dress shirt, slowly undoing one at a time.

He groaned as her hands moved lower and she unfastened the last button. She slid it of his shoulders and it fell to the ground softly. She then wrapped her fingers around the hem of his undershirt and removed her lips from his as she pulled it over his head. She looked hungrily at the toned muscles of his chest and ran her hands down his body. He looked even better than she remembered.

Regina leaned forward and kissed his collarbone, making her way up his neck before ending at his lips. He moaned as her lips traced his body. She kissed him tenderly and moved her hands from his chest to behind his neck.

David moaned against her. His hand moved up her back until it found the zipper of her dress. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes as he gradually pulled the zipper down. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, brushing it across her skin and kissing her again. "You are incredible," he breathed.

She grinned as she shrugged the dress off, allowing it to fall to the ground, and he feasted his eyes on her body. She was wearing a bra of red silk with black lace trim and panties to match. The red fabric looked beautiful on her olive skin.

Regina turned and walked to the bed, which she climbed onto. She sat on her knees and beckoned him over with her finger. David moved to the bed and she met him at the edge and moved her fingers to his pants. She deftly unfastened the belt, button, and zipper and pushed down the fabric. He stepped out of his pants and put his hands on the small of her back as he kissed her again and lowered her onto her back. Then he peppered kisses down her neck and torso, making her shiver. His fingers hooked around the top of her panties and he pulled them off agonizingly slowly.

David removed the garment from around her ankles and tossed it aside. He moved his mouth to the inside of her right thigh, trailing open-mouthed kisses up it. He reached her wet center and ran his tongue along her entrance before closing his mouth around her clit, where he sucked hard.

Regina gasped loudly at the contact. "Oh my god," she moaned. As his mouth continued against her clit, he moved two fingers inside her, stroking her g-spot in a come hither motion.

The mayor's breathing quickened and she began to whimper as she approached her climax. She arched her back, allowing him easier access as her body began to shake. He lightly bit down on her clit as he stroked her inside, sending her over the edge as she cried out his name.

She was breathing heavily as David licked his fingers, cleaning them of her juices. He then pulled her to a sitting position and kissed her, her soft lips moving gently but passionately against his. Regina reached for the waistband of his boxers and pulled them off, releasing his erection from its confines. She ran her fingers along it as she continued to kiss him. He groaned into her and reached around to remove her bra. He easily unhooked it and slid it off her body, freeing her breasts.

He sucked on one of her nipples while attending to the other with his hand, and she could already feel her arousal heightening again. He moved to switch, but she moved her hand to his jaw, leading him to her lips. She kissed him briefly, and in a husky whisper, she told him, "I want you inside me."

He climbed on top of her, more than willing to oblige. He kissed her again and thrust into her. She cried out in pleasure. "Oh fuck," she said. It felt even more amazing then before.

"Oh, god, Regina," David moaned. He increased his speed and she began to quiver again. He moved his right hand to her abdomen and began to rub her clit with his thumb as he continued pressing into her harder and harder.

Her eyes squeezed shut and she cried out as her second orgasm hit. As she tightened around him, he released his seed inside her.

He rode out both of their orgasms, and when they came down from the high, he rolled onto his side and looked at her. She turned her head to face him and he kissed her again.

David ran his fingers through her hair. "You're an amazing woman, Regina Mills," he whispered, causing her to smile. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said.

She kissed him again. "Happy Valentine's Day."

* * *

**I'm not going to lie, I got a little excited writing this chapter. I just love them so much! Please review. I love to know what you think.**


	8. Playground

David woke up to light streaming in through the bedroom window. His arms were wrapped around Regina as she slept next to him. He placed a light kiss on the nape of her neck.

She leaned into the contact, letting out an involuntary hum. "Hello, dear," she said quietly.

"Good morning," he whispered. He started placing kisses on her shoulder.

"How did you sleep?"

"Amazing," he said, nibbling on her ear. "You, darling, are incredible in bed," he said.

She turned over and kissed him passionately on the mouth. "Why, thank you," she said with a smile. "You were fantastic as well, dear."

A loud beeping rang from her side of the bed, prompting her to turn over and slap the alarm. He kissed up her arm and started gently moving his lips and tongue over the soft skin of her neck.

"David, I need to shower," she said, unsuccessfully trying not to moan as his touch.

He hummed approvingly against her neck. He moved his mouth to her ear. He asked in a breathy whisper, "Can I join you?"

* * *

Regina was walking Lady, heading to her lunch date with David when she crossed Mary-Margaret's path. "Oh!" The schoolteacher said. "I see you adopted Lady." She leaned down and pet the cocker spaniel on the head.

"Yes, I did," Regina responded coldly.

"She's very sweet," Mary-Margaret noted as she stood again. Regina moved to walk away when the schoolteacher called after her again. "Regina!"

"Miss Blanchard, I am late for an engagement. Can it wait?" She quirked an eyebrow disapprovingly as she looked at the girl.

"Why do you hate me?" Mary-Margaret asked when Regina turned to leave.

"Excuse me?" Regina asked, masking her irritation with confusion.

"I don't have a single memory of you ever not hating me," Mary-Margaret said.

Regina let out an unamused laugh. At that moment, David walked out of Granny's. "Hey, Mary-Margaret," he said quickly.

"Hi, David," she shyly replied. She opened her mouth to make conversation, but David had already turned to Regina.

"I'm sorry, Regina, I can't stay. I just got a call about work. There's a severely injured dog at the shelter, and I have to go help Dr. Lawrence," he said.

"Oh, that's fine dear," she said. "I completely understand."

"Thank you," he said. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight," he said. "Bye, Mary-Margaret," he said with a wave.

The younger woman looked incredibly sad over the exchange she'd just witnessed, and the mayor took it as a moment to act upon. "Is this about David?" She asked, feigning surprise

"No!" The girl said a little to quickly. Regina raised an eyebrow. "I mean, yes, I've always had a bit of a crush on him, but if he's with you and you're both happy, then that's what matters, right?" She said. Regina put on a fake smile to mask her irritation before moving toward the diner. "Regina!"

At this rate, it would be three more hours before she got inside the restaurant. She took no care to cover up her annoyance as she turned to the girl.

"I was hoping that since your plans were just cancelled that maybe we could discuss that thing I was talking about."

Regina exhaled. "Fine," she said. "What is it?"

"Well, I noticed that our budget at the school diminished significantly, and I was wondering why."

"I don't know if you're aware, but there's a recession going on right now," she said condescendingly.

"I know. I was just hoping that maybe there was a bit extra somewhere."

"Miss Blanchard, what are you getting at?"

"Well I know that there's a new playground being built in the town, and I know you're buying land from Gold to build it." Regina nodded. "That's got to be awfully expensive," she said.

"A bit, but we're trying to make this whole project as excellent as it can be. For the children," she added.

"Well," Mary-Margaret put on an appeasing smile. "I was thinking that, if the playground was built on the school's property, you'd save money because you wouldn't have to pay Gold, _and _the money could be filtered back into the school system so that maybe we can get some new textbooks." The young woman pulled ratty old book from her bag. "These aren't really in the best shape."

Regina examined the textbook. It was barely even usable. There was writing all over the insides and pages were ripped and missing. The teacher clearly had a valid point. They would save quite a bit of money by changing locations. But she didn't want to give Mary-Margaret the satisfaction. "I'll think about it," she said with a scowl. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have my lunch."

"Okay," Mary-Margaret replied. She was simply happy that Regina hadn't completely dismissed her. "We'll talk soon, then."

The girl continued in the direction she was travelling. Regina turned to Lady, who was wagging her tail eagerly. "You're lucky, Lady. You don't have to worry about things like revenge, do you?" Lady ran around in an excited little circle before looking up at her owner, a happy smile covering her face.

Regina picked up the puppy and carried her inside. "Regina!" Ruby greeted as soon as she walked in. "Hello, Lady." She scratched the puppy behind her ears.

In any other town, bringing a puppy into a diner would probably be considered strange, but not here. Granny and Ruby loved dogs (which was due to their wolf counterparts, even though they didn't know that). "So…" Ruby prompted her friend.

Regina smirked knowingly and made her way to the counter, where she sat with Lady in her arms. "I think I'm going to be a little crazy and have a cheeseburger today," she mused.

"Reginaaaaaaa!" Ruby whined, making her way to her side of the counter. "Come _on_!"

"A lady never kisses and tells," Regina teased.

"Well, I figure you guys did it. He couldn't wipe that stupid grin off his face the entire time he was here, and now you're practically glowing," the waitress said.

Regina laughed at the younger woman. "Yes, dear, we had sex," she said lowly.

"Was it good?" Ruby whispered, leaning on the counter.

Regina smiled genuinely. "It was the best sex I've ever had."

* * *

"Brought you lunch," Regina said, holding up the bag in her hand. David smiled when he saw her come through the door. "Ruby told me that you didn't get a chance to eat anything, so I thought I'd bring it to you."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her for a moment. She smiled through the contact. "You're so thoughtful," he said, taking the bag from her.

"I do try," she said. He started taking his food out of the bag and putting it on the counter.

"So what were you talking to Mary-Margaret about earlier?"

_Way to spoil the mood_, she thought. "Oh, she wanted to talk about some budgeting issues at the school."

"There are budgeting issues?"

"Recession, dear," she said. "She wanted to find out if I could change the plans for the playground so that a little extra money could be put into their budget for new textbooks."

"How would you change the plans?" He asked, taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"By not buying the land from Gold," she said.

"Sounds like a win-win to me," he said simply. "I've never liked Gold. Anything where he loses is a win for all of us."

She raised her eyebrows. "You don't know Gold like I do," she said. "He will _not _be happy if I back out of this deal."

"Is Madame Mayor afraid of a little pawn shop broker?" He teased.

"No!" She insisted. She lowered her tone back to its natural register. "There's just a history there."

"Well, if I know you at all, you can take him," he said, coming around the counter and kissing her on the forehead.

She looked up at him and smiled. "You truly are wonderful," she said.

"I know," he teased. He placed a kiss on her lips, and as his mouth moved against hers, Regina forgot about everything else in the world.


	9. Chinese Food

**A/N: So sorry for the long wait! I had some serious writer's block. But it's a long chapter, and there's some Snow and some smut and some sweetness, so enjoy!**

* * *

Gold was not pleased with Regina. She hadn't finalized making the deal yet, though, so there really wasn't anything he could do to her. And thank goodness he didn't say please.

Regina entered her house and went immediately to the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of scotch and pouring herself a glass. Even when he wasn't angry, Gold exhausted her to no end. She moved to the kitchen as she took a sip and allowed the liquid to slide down her throat and warm her belly.

"Regina?"

"Kitchen," she called to David, who had let himself in the front door. "Hello, handsome." He kissed her quickly before putting the brown paper bags on the counter. She helped him take food out of the bags, noting just how much he'd ordered. "David, how are we supposed to eat all of this? It's just the two of us!"

He laughed and kissed her again. "Chinese leftovers are the best," he told her.

A look of near disgust crossed her face. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack," he said. Then he looked at her with realization. "Have you never had Chinese food?"

Regina shook her head with a small laugh. "No, I have not. We only got the Chinese restaurant recently. I haven't had the chance!"

A smile crossed his face. "Well then you're in for a treat."

* * *

Regina and David sat on the couch, facing each other, containers of takeout sitting on the coffee table and an episode of _How I Met Your Mother_ on the television. Regina had a box of sweet and sour chicken in her hand and was trying to master the art of using chopsticks.

"I'm going to get this if it kills me," she said. She focused on the utensils in her hand and stuck her tongue out a bit in concentration. David laughed inwardly at the amount of focus Regina had on the task at hand as he easily used his chopsticks to eat another bite of his Kung Pao shrimp. She was adorable like this: so determined to accomplish her task. Her eyes widened a bit as she lifted her hand, a piece of chicken between the two sticks. She smiled like a little kid who just figured out how to tie his shoes before putting the chicken in her mouth and raising her arms in the air triumphantly. He laughed at her excitement. "I did it!" She said after swallowing.

He leaned forward and kissed her. "Good job," he told her.

"It's the little things, right?" She gave him a smirk before kissing him softly, lingering just long enough for him to deepen the kiss. He broke away to put their containers back on the coffee table before returning, climbing on top of her as he continued kissing her. She wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands crept to her chest, where he started unbuttoning the shirt from the top down. He pushed the fabric to the side, reaching under her bra to thumb a hardening nipple. She let out a groan and pushed his flannel shirt off his shoulders.

Lady started barking when the doorbell rang. "Really?" Regina said.

"Don't answer it," he pleaded as his mouth made contact with the smooth skin of her neck.

"Okay," she said as he moved further down her body. The doorbell rang again, causing David to pause his movements. "They're not going away," she said.

David climbed off of her, and Regina moved to the door, buttoning her shirt as she did.

"Miss Blanchard," Regina said flatly. Seeing the girl twice in one day was two times too many. "How can I help you?"

"Actually, I've got something of a problem."

"Miss Blanchard, just because I agreed to consider your problem with the school budget does not mean you can come soliciting favors from me any time you please."

The girl was taken back a bit. "I-I'm sorry, Regina. I just didn't know who else to ask about this."

"About what, Miss Blanchard?"

"Well, you've probably heard that there's someone new in town."

_Ah, yes_, Regina thought to herself. She'd heard that a young woman had arrived in town the other day. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to meet her though. She looked at Mary-Margaret, waiting for her to elaborate. "Well," the girl continued "She's going to be living with me, and I was kind of hoping to throw a party for her. A sort of 'welcome to town' thing."

"What does any of this have to do with me?"

"Um, well, I was hoping that maybe we could have the party here." It was more of a question than anything. "I was going to have it at my apartment, but all these people want to come, and I just can't say no. My apartment is too small to accommodate all those people, and I know you've had lots of parties for town events in the past, so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "You want to throw a party at my house for a total stranger?" She asked. "Do I have that right?"

"Uh… yes?"

The mayor let out a huff of air. "When?"

Mary-Margaret hesitated. "Saturday," she said awkwardly.

Regina let out a low chuckle. "Dear, you _do _realize that is tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I do," she said. "But it's nothing fancy. You don't have to do a thing. I'll do all the work if you just supply the venue."

Regina inhaled, prepared to spew an insult at the younger woman. "I suppose I can give up a night for that," she instead told her.

A smile lit up the schoolteacher's face. "Really? Oh, thank you so much, Regina!" She threw her arms around the woman but quickly pulled away. "Sorry," she said, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I don't know why I did that."

Regina did.

* * *

_The new queen made her way throughout the maze of halls in the castle. Since becoming queen, she'd grown accustomed to her loneliness, especially after she sent her mother through the looking glass._

_"Mother?" _

_Regina hadn't even noticed the young girl creeping up beside her. "Snow," she said neutrally._

_"Mother, is everything alright?"_

_"Yes," she lied. "Why wouldn't it be?" She smiled at Snow, but it was empty. The young girl was too naïve to notice, though._

_"Mother, when I grow up, I want to be just like you," she said._

No you don't, _the queen thought to herself. But she bit her tongue, instead saying, "Why is that, dear?"_

_"Because you're wonderful," Snow replied simply. "You are beautiful and kind and smart and you wear beautiful dresses all the time and you are really good with horses." She absently grasped her stepmother's hand loosely. "I can't imagine having a better stepmother," she said, leaning her head on Regina's arm as they walked. _

_The older woman stared blankly ahead, doing everything in her power not to reach over and rip out the young girl's heart._

* * *

Regina moved back to the living room, where David was reclining on the couch. She admired the tight-fitting tshirt he was wearing. His muscles were as toned as they were in the Enchanted Forest.

"So, I'm hosting a party tomorrow night," she said.

"Really?" He smiled as he sat up, his hands wandering up her legs to her hips. "Am I invited?"

"Hmm… I don't know. I mean I really don't like you that much," she teased.

He chuckled a little as he unbuttoned her pants, pulling them down a bit. "Well maybe I can change your mind." He winked before gently kissing her abdomen just above the waist of her panties. A hum of approval escaped her lips as her pants fell to the floor. His hands wandered back up to her backside, giving it a squeeze as he looked up at her, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

His right hand slid back around to her front, when it reached her hip he began to move it incredibly slowly toward her sex. The gentle touch of his fingers moving down her thigh made her tingle, the wetness between her legs increasing tremendously. His hand finally found her center and he rubbed her through her soaked panties. After a moment, he pushed aside the silk fabric and slowly thrust two fingers into her pussy, He placed another kiss on her abdomen, his tongue licking the skin there.

"God, David," she whispered as her head fell back. Her hand ran through his hair, gently gripping it, begging for his mouth to join his fingers.

"Patience, Regina," he teased as his fingers curled, sliding deliciously over her g-spot. A growl emitted from her throat. He removed his fingers—much to her dismay—but then grabbed her hips and pivoted so she was reclining on the couch and he was on the floor on his knees. His fingers hooked in the waist of her undergarments and pulled them off roughly. Then his mouth contacted her center eagerly, quickly finding her most sensitive spot, where he gently bit down, making her shudder and let out a cry of pleasure.

"Oh, fuck, David," she said, squirming as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth. Her breathing began to speed up as he continued his ministrations. He pressed his two fingers into her again and shifted so that his thumb was rubbing her sensitive nub. He lightly nipped at the inside of her thighs before moving up to her mouth, kissing her roughly as she approached her climax.

"Come for me, Regina," he moaned into her mouth. It was too much for her to take. He moved is lips to her neck as she climaxed, her body shaking as she cried out his name.

Her hips writhed against his hand as she came down from her orgasm, his mouth having moved to hers once more, their tongues slowly, passionately moving together. "So," he said, breaking the kiss "Can I come to the party now?"

"I think we can find room on the guest list for you somewhere," she whispered as her hand snaked down his body and gripped his already hard member through his jeans.

He groaned at the contact, so she easily unbuttoned his pants and entered them with her hand, stroking his erection slowly. Her lustful eyes bore into his, and he couldn't control himself. He pulled open her blouse roughly, the buttons flying off as he pulled her to him. Her hand left his dick as she let the shirt fall down her arms, her bra following suit shortly after, leaving her completely naked on the couch.

He kissed her hard, and she pulled away just enough to say, "You, dear, are overdressed."

He chuckled lightly. "Well maybe we should do something about that." He pulled away and tugged his shirt over his head, revealing those toned muscles she loved so much. She groaned audibly at the sight, causing him to smirk. "Like what you see?" He asked before pushing his pants to the floor and stepping out of them.

She chuckled. "Shut up," she teased as his mouth pressed to hers. They shifted so she was lying on her back. He kissed down her neck to her chest until his mouth found her right nipple, which hardened even more at the contact. He moved to the other, making sure to give it equal attention.

David felt Regina's hands tugging at his boxers. He pulled away and opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him. "Patience has never been my strong suit, Mr. Nolan," she whispered huskily.

"Well then I won't keep you waiting," he said with a wink.

She could've cum right there. _God he's so sexy_. In a flash his boxers were gone and he was lining himself up with her entrance.

"Oh, god," she moaned as he filled her, thrusting into her hard and fast. "Yes, David," she breathed, her climax quickly building inside of her. He pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her passionately as they found a rhythm. He felt her walls contract around him as her orgasm hit her hard.

He continued thrusting into her, his own orgasm ready to explode, but he held back as his thumb met her clit, rubbing it and quickly bringing her back to the brink. They were both so close, and David moaned the last thing Regina thought she'd ever hear.

"God, I love you."

At that moment, they both went over the edge, Regina's eyes widened at the revelation he'd had in the midst of their encounter. Through heavy breaths, Regina managed to say, "You love me?"

He looked down at her, his chest heaving. Then his eyes widened like hers. "I did say that, didn't I?"

They both began laughing as he recalled the words he'd accidentally said. But when they stopped laughing, she looked up at him curiously. "Do you?"

He blinked a few times before exhaling. "I do," he said with a light chuckle. "Yes, I love you."

She smiled up at him. Regina never thought she'd ever hear someone say that again unless somehow Daniel came back. This man who hated her—granted, he hated her in a life he couldn't remember, but still—loved her.

"I—" She stuttered. She never stuttered, but something about him made her lose her ability to speak properly. She swallowed, regaining her composure. "I love you too," she said, choking back tears.

He smiled down at her and kissed her again happily. She finally remembered what it was like to be loved.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! I really hope you liked this chapter. :)**


	10. The Party

**Got some flashbacks to FTL in this chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Leave us," he said, making the guards descend the steps of the tower. _

_The Evil Queen turned from the window at the sound of a familiar voice. "Ah, Prince James," she said, never turning from the window. "Come for one last romp?"_

_"Fuck you," he responded._

_"I'll take that as a yes," she said, not missing a beat as she turned toward him and smirked. She was already starting to get under his skin, and she so enjoyed it. _

_James moved to the door, opening it and stepping inside. She raised an eyebrow. "Why did you do it?" He asked._

_"Do what?" She said, her voice full of disdain. _

_"All of it? Go after Snow, kill her father? You've caused so much pain."_

_"Why don't you ask your fiancée? She loves to advertise my business."_

_"Snow is a good person. She'd never hurt anyone."_

_Regina raised her brows in amusement. She smirked, an unamused chuckle coming from her throat. "Really, now? She'd never hurt anyone?" Her face contorted into a snarl as she marched toward him. "She's the reason my true love is dead!"_

_The room went silent, the only sound was the labored breathing of the queen as she attempted to hold back her tears. They stood in silence for a while. "You can go on pretending that you and your precious Snow can do no wrong," Regina finally said. She stepped toward him, her face only inches from his. "But deep down, you're no better than the rest of us. Those of us who have been hurt our entire lives. Beaten, abused, ripped apart until there's nothing left. You proved that when you fucked me in my carriage." _

_She stepped away, returning to the window. "Evil isn't born, dear prince. It's made." _

_The sun was beginning to set, and the glow through the window softened her face. He watched her as she gazed down on the people of his kingdom. "Let me be," she said quietly._

* * *

_Regina looked at the sword in her wall. It had been there for three days. Ever since he threw it at her at the wedding. She turned to a mirror and looked into it to find Charming bidding his wife adieu as she went off to do god-knows-what._

_She smirked evilly. "I think it's time to pay the dear prince a visit."_

_The purple cloud engulfed her before landing her in the castle. She looked at the bed, climbing onto it to wait for him. It was only a few moments before he returned._

_His face went white. "Regina?" He swallowed. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Returning your sword," she said, producing the object with her magic and placing it on the table next to her. She seductively moved toward him, sitting on her knees on the bed so she was slightly taller than him. "I must admit I wasn't pleased with you throwing it at me." She grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward her. "We usually have so much more fun with penetration."_

_He let out an involuntary moan. "I-I'm married, Regina."_

_"Never stopped me," whispered Regina, her lips grazing his and sending shivers down his spine._

_"I-I love Snow," he stuttered, trying very hard to resist the sensual woman in front of him._

_She looked down at him. "Oh, I know you do," she said teasingly. Her voice then dropped back to its naturally lower register, and she whispered, "But you prefer fucking me, don't you, dear?"_

_James crashed his lips to hers roughly, unable to resist her any longer. He pushed her so she was lying flat on the bed. He climbed on top of her as he pressed his tongue past her lips. When they finally parted for air, he said, out of breath, "I need you, Regina."_

_A low chuckle emitted from her throat as his mouth met her neck, sucking and biting at her skin, leaving little bruises along the surface. She could feel his hardness pressing into her thigh, only making her more aroused. Her teeth made contact with his earlobe, making him groan. "Then take me," she whispered._

_He kissed her again as he pulled the deep purple dress up around her waist and ripped her underwear off, tossing it somewhere in the room. He reached down and immediately thrust two fingers into her sex, making her arch back. She began bucking her hips into him as her orgasm approached. It was quick and she immediately wanted more. "Is that all you've got, shepherd?" She taunted as she sat up._

_"Oh, I'm only getting warmed up," he responded huskily. He removed her dress, allowing that perfect body he so adored to lie before him. He hungrily took one nipple in his mouth, roughly sucking and biting it, making her writhe in need. After a moment of attending to her breasts, he stood, removing his pants before climbing on top of her again, almost instantly thrusting into her._

_He pressed himself into her over and over again, bringing them quickly to the brink. She reached down to rub her clit, but he intercepted. "Allow me," he growled._

_"Quite the gentleman," she quipped just before his thumb made contact with the sensitive bundle of nerves. "Oh, fuck, James," she whimpered._

_Her orgasm exploded within her, causing her to cry out loudly. The sound of her voice combined with the incredible feeling of being inside her took him over the edge as he came inside of her with a hard thrust and loud groan. He collapsed on top of her, completely spent. _

_It took them a moment to catch their breaths, and Regina expected him to pull out of her and go on his way, but instead, he began trailing soft kisses up her neck until he reached her lips. He gently kissed her, moving his lips against hers. She became lost in the moment, forgetting what their relationship was supposed to be._

_"James," she finally whispered as his kisses became more urgent. She placed her hands on his chest, gently pushing him to stop. "No," she whispered._

_"I'm sorry," he breathed. "I got caught up in the moment."_

_She nodded in understanding. James rolled over, allowing her to dress herself again. "Why haven't you told anyone about this?" He asked, looking at the woman slipping into her undergarments._

_She shook her head. "Why would I?"_

_"If she found out, you'd have your revenge. You would have taken from her what she took from you. She'd be destroyed," he said, tears stinging the backs of his eyes._

_She snickered. "Dear, I prefer more…creative forms of punishment," she told him. "Sleeping with her fiancé in their bed and telling her is just so cliché."_

_"So why did you sleep with me, then?"_

_"I'm a woman with needs."_

_"But why me?"_

_She didn't respond. She only smiled as she disappeared in a cloud of smoke._

* * *

Regina stood in her dining room, watching as the guests mingled, eating drinking, and chatting with each other. She swirled the wine in her glass, watching as David talked with Archie. A small smile crossed her lips. _He's so friendly toward everyone. Even in Storybrooke he's charming. _"Hi," a voice said.

"Oh," Regina turned to the woman. "Hello, Miss…?"

"Emma Swan," the blonde said. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a white tank top and a red leather jacket. She couldn't have been older than twenty-five.

Regina shook her hand. "Regina Mills," she said, putting on her mayor smile.

"So this is your house?" Emma leaned on the wall next to the older woman. Regina nodded, taking a sip from her glass. "Nice," Emma mused.

"How are you liking Storybrooke so far, Miss Swan?"

"Everyone seems nice. Really welcoming. And Mary-Margaret's cool."

_Cool is not the word I would use to describe her_, Regina thought.

Emma continued. "It's just nice to find a place where people are so welcoming." She took a sip of her beer.

They chatted for a bit before David came over. He wrapped his arm around Regina's shoulder and kissed her on the temple. "Hello, gorgeous."

She smiled. "Hello, dear. Have you met our guest of honor?"

"Yeah," he responded, nodding at Emma. "Mary-Margaret introduced us at the start of the night."

Emma looked between them, clearly a bit confused about something. "Is something wrong, Miss Swan?"

"Uh, nothing," Emma said awkwardly. At that moment, Ruby arrived and waved to David to help her bring in a case of wine.

"So," Regina said when David was gone. "What's bugging you?"

Emma was about to deny anything again, but she found it impossible to say no to the mayor. "Okay, please don't say anything?" Regina nodded. "Well…the way Mary-Margaret talked about him, I thought they were together," Emma told her sheepishly.

Regina chuckled a bit as she glanced toward the schoolteacher. Sure enough, she was looking longingly at David as he brought the case of wine through the entrance. Her stomach churned as she remembered the days when David used to reciprocate. The days of _I will always find you_. Regina was so happy those days were over. "Actually, David and I have been together about a month," she said.

"Oh," Emma said. "Sorry, she just really seems to like the guy. But I'm sure it's completely platonic," she said reassuringly. "She just really likes having him as a friend."

_Platonic, sure. _"Everyone in town knows that Miss Blanchard has always had a bit of a crush on David," Regina said. "She's…sweet," Regina said, choosing her words carefully.

"But David likes his women a bit sexier, right?" Emma said with a wink.

"Oh," Regina said, catching on. "Are you…"

"Gay? Yeah," Emma said. "I've been with men before, but I'm definitely into women. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I don't have much of a filter."

Regina laughed. "It's perfectly alright, Miss Swan. I'm flattered."

"Well, you should be. I have high standards."

Regina laughed again. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she said, raising her glass.

Emma clinked her glass against the older woman's.

* * *

"Hey, you," said Regina as she descended the stairs, where David was in the wine cellar.

"Hello," he responded.

"You hiding out?" She asked.

David laughed. "Only a little. Granny gets handsy when she's drunk."

"No way! Granny felt you up?" When he nodded, she reared her head back laughing. "That crazy old lady better keep her hands off my man!" She teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Mmm, getting a little protective, are we?"

She giggled. "Well, I got hit on my a lesbian earlier, so it looks like we're both having an interesting night."

He raised his eyebrows. "Emma's gay?" Regina nodded. "Well, she's got good taste," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

She hummed against his lips, opening hers and allowing his tongue to enter. His hands slid under her shirt and ran up her back, causing her to shiver.

"David!"

He stopped for a moment at the sound of Mary-Margaret's voice. "He's busy, Miss Blanchard!" Regina called before closing the door behind her and turning to push him against it, kissing him feverishly.

"That was evil," he teased.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you really complaining?"

"Nope," he said quickly, grabbing her by the back of her legs and lifting her to straddle his waist.

She giggled in surprise as he pressed her between his body and the wall, kissing her neck.

"David!"

Regina groaned. "What do you need, Ruby?" He called.

"We've still got a few cases to unload!"

"Ruby, dear, your friends are getting laid, so can it wait?" Regina said with a laugh. David's face turned red as he stifled his laughter.

Her friend was quiet, but Regina heard a gasp from Mary-Margaret. "Oh dear," she said when she saw his face. "We just got cockblocked by the teacher," she teased.

He laughed at her. "Later tonight." He said, kissing her again as he pressed his pelvis into her.

"And you said _I'm_ evil!" She retorted. He guided her legs to the ground before opening the door and leading her back upstairs.

* * *

**A/N: Emma is not Snow and Charming's daughter. They never had a baby. There's no prophecy about the end of the curse, so Regina isn't worried about it breaking. Just wanted to clear up those questions!**

**Hope you liked it! Please review!**


	11. Two Weeks

**I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this! I am so sorry! I've been so ridiculously busy lately, but I managed to finish this new chapter. I hope you like it!**

* * *

"Thank you so much, Regina," Mary-Margaret said as she approached the door. She and Emma had just finished helping with the cleanup process. The schoolteacher still seemed a bit flustered over what she'd heard from the wine cellar earlier.

"It was no trouble, dear. I actually enjoyed myself," Regina responded, looking up at her boyfriend. She was thoroughly enjoying the young woman squirm in discomfort. David's hands resting comfortably on her shoulders were just the icing on the cake. The mayor turned to the blonde. "It was lovely to meet you, Miss Swan," she said, extending her hand.

"Regina, I'm gonna hug you goodbye and you're gonna take it, okay?" The new resident stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Regina laughed a bit, reciprocating the hug.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan," she said, pulling back from the hug. "Miss Blanchard." She nodded to the other woman, a far less familiar adieu than her exchange with the stranger.

David waved to both of them as they turned. As soon as the door was closed, he found himself with his back pressed against it. Regina pinned him to the door and pressed her lips to his urgently. She finally pulled away. "God, I thought they'd never leave," she said breathlessly before kissing him again.

She moved her kisses down his neck, causing him to moan in anticipation. "So eager," he teased.

Between kisses, she said, "Didn't we just have a conversation yesterday about my impatience?" Her hands unfastened his pants, dropping them to the floor. She reached for his crotch, grabbing his erection and stroking it through the fabric of his boxers as she used her other hand to pull him deeper into their kiss. Her hand reached into his underwear, making contact with his throbbing dick.

Regina's mouth formed a wicked smile as she gradually moved lower until she was on her knees in front of him. She removed his boxers quickly and took his length in her hand again. She flicked her tongue over the tip, causing him to release another involuntary moan. Her tongue swirled around the tip before putting the head in her mouth and lightly sucking on it. "Oh, fuck, Regina," he moaned. She took his entire length in his mouth, sucking hard as he tried to hold himself together as long as possible. He grabbed her under her arms and pulled her to him, kissing her roughly. "I need you, Regina," he growled, moving to her neck, his hands guiding the zipper of her dress down her back until she shrugged her shoulders, allowing the garment to fall to the floor.

A low chuckle formed at the base of her throat as he nipped the olive skin on her neck. "Now _that_, I like to hear," she said. Without warning, he turned her around so her back was pinned to the door, simultaneously reaching for her hot center. As David's fingers thrust into her, she gasped, enjoying the feeling of his digits as they bent to stroke her g-spot while his thumb pressed against her clit.. She was approaching an orgasm when David removed his fingers and lifted her, making her straddle his waist in an attempt to relieve the burning pressure inside of her.

David pushed her against the wall, holding her up as he positioned himself at her entrance, teasing her with the head, not yet ready to enter her. Regina whimpered in frustration as she bucked her hips, trying to get him to bring her to climax, but he evaded her efforts. She finally grabbed his face with one hand. "Stop teasing me, dear," she growled, pulling him to kiss her.

He slowly pushed himself into her, savoring the warmth of her sex. She bit back a moan as his inches disappeared into her, filling her completely. Regina wrapped her arms tightly around her lover's neck, bringing him closer to her as her climax rapidly approached. "Oh, god!" She cried out as he slammed himself into her harder and faster. His nails dug into her backside while his mouth ravaged her neck, leaving little bruises in his furious passion.

The orgasm shook her body intensely. She felt David's hot cum fill her as he groaned in release. Her arms loosened around him as her orgasm subsided, and were it not for his body pressing her against the door, she would have fallen straight to the ground. They both breathed heavily, their bodies trying to recover from the feeling. "Fuck," she finally breathed.

He chuckled. "We just did that," he teased, kissing her quickly and eliciting a laugh from the mayor. "Should I put you down?" He asked.

Regina unwrapped her legs from around David's waist, but remained in his arms, feet off the floor, her arms wrapped around his neck. She kissed him again as he lowered her feet gently to the ground, moving his lips against hers. He smiled as he pulled away to look at her. Her lipstick was smudged and her hair was mussed, but she looked beautiful. "Well that was a fun night," David mused.

Regina chuckled. "Just wait for round two, dear." She winked and David all but chased her upstairs to the bedroom.

* * *

_Two weeks later…_

Regina walked into the diner and sat at the counter. No one was there except Ruby, so as soon as she sat, she lay her head down on the bar, clearly exhausted. "Damn," Ruby said. "You look like you could use some coffee."

"I can't have coffee. I'm pregnant," she said, her voice muffled by the fact that she was still face down on the counter.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Then no coffee," she said. There was a short awkward pause before she finally said, "Are you sure?"

"My period is a week late. I'm never late," Regina responded, sitting up straight. "So yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Is that why you've been so weird this week?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you've been less health conscious lately. You're extremely jumpy—"

"I am not!"

"Regina, the other day I called your name and you nearly fell over yourself in surprise." Her comment was met with silence. She waited for a response, but the mayor just sat there, staring at her hands on the counter. "You know you need to take a pregnancy test."

Of course she knew, but if she took one and it came out positive, that made it all the more real. What if she wasn't ready to be a mom? Cora was certainly no role model for her. Regina had no clue how to be a good mom. "I know," she said. "I don't know the first thing about being a mother. Mine wasn't… my mother wasn't exactly the greatest."

Ruby gave her a look of condolence. "Do you want to talk about it?" She said softly.

"No," Regina insisted a little more forcefully than she should have.

"I won't pry," Ruby said, holding her hands up in front of her chest.

"I'm sorry, Ruby," Regina said as the younger woman backed away. "I'm just very on edge today. I didn't even think I could get pregnant. My ex-husband and I…well, we were never able to conceive. But I always wanted kids."

"Yeah, but he was significantly older than you," Ruby said. "That easily could have been because of him."

Regina nodded. _That was a different time_, she thought. "Right," she said. "Ruby?" The girl tilted her head, indicating that she was receptive. "Could you…"

Ruby covered Regina's hand with her own, giving it a little squeeze. "I'll do it first thing in the morning."

* * *

Regina and Ruby sat in the bathroom. Regina had put the toilet lid down to sit, and Ruby was sitting on the edge of the tub. "Thanks for doing this, Ruby."

"Wouldn't want anyone prematurely spreading rumors that the mayor is pregnant," she said.

Regina chuckled and glanced at the stick on the counter. _Longest two minutes of my life_. "I don't even know what I want it to say," she whispered.

"I think you'll be fine either way," Ruby said. "If you're not pregnant, then everything goes back to you _are _pregnant," she continued "then you're having a baby with the man you love." The younger woman smiled in a way that truly brought Regina comfort. But it was only momentary, for after a couple seconds, the kitchen timer went off.

Regina took a deep breath before picking up the little stick. She slowly brought it so she could see the result, her mask firmly in place. Without changing her expression at all, she showed it to Ruby.

"You're going to be a great mom."

* * *

**EVIL CHARMING BABY I'M SO EXCITED! Yes, I'm having feels over my own creation. Please review! It will help me get a new chapter up faster :)**


	12. Chicken Soup

**This chapter is very short, but it ends where I wanted it to, so I'll post another chapter soon. We're gonna see some pregnant Regina in upcoming chapters! :)**

* * *

The teapot whistled on the stovetop, signaling Regina that her tea was ready. She poured her tea and made her way to the living room where she curled up on the couch with a book. It had been a week since she found out she was pregnant.

She still hadn't told David. In fact she hadn't even seen him in three days.

Regina's head fell back onto the couch cushion behind her as she let out a breath. She focused her breathing, trying to curb the wave of nausea that was starting to overtake her. _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

The next inhale had her running for the bathroom, where she fell to her knees and emptied the contents of her stomach. She rested her elbows on the seat, her face in her hands. "Oh, God," she mumbled. She stood up and washed her hands. She retrieved a bottle of mouthwash from under the sink and swished it in her mouth before spitting into the sink.

She heard the doorbell ring. She looked in the mirror and fluffed her hair before making her way to the door. "Ruby," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"You said you were dealing with morning sickness," she said with a smile as she held up a bag from Granny's.

"And you thought greasy food was going to make the nausea go away?" She quipped.

"Soup," she said. "Granny makes _amazing_ chicken soup."

They moved to the kitchen and plated everything. Regina hated using take out boxes (except for the night she and David had Chinese food). She and Emma sat down at the table. "Thank you, dear," Regina said.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," said the brunette. "Soup was a great idea. Thank you."

"He misses you, you know."

It was very blunt. Regina stopped the spoon halfway to her mouth. "I miss him, too. I just don't know how to tell him."

"What's to think about?" Ruby said. "You know you have to tell him, so just tell him."

"Ruby, it's not that simple. When I tell him…" Tears started to fill her eyes. "I'm trapping him."

"Regina, if he doesn't want to be part of this—"

"He's not going to turn away from this baby," the older woman interrupted. "He's not going to leave me alone with this child. He's going to be the stand-up guy and help me raise the baby and then he's going to resent me for the rest of our lives because I made him stay."

"Or…" Ruby scooted her chair closer to the crying woman and wrapped her arms around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Or he'll be excited about having a baby with the woman he loves." She gave Regina a kiss on top of the head. "It's gonna be fine, Regina. And if it's not… I'll be your baby daddy."

Regina laughed for the first time in three days. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You won't have to, though," Ruby told her. She grabbed Regina's cell phone off the table. "Call him."

* * *

Regina stepped out of the shower. It had helped significantly with her nausea. She was feeling much more herself. She took the time to blow dry her hair and put on her makeup. She put on a red button-down and slid into one of her tight pencil skirts. _In a few months, I won't be able to wear half my wardrobe_. The final touch was a pair of black pumps before she heard a voice downstairs. "Regina?"

"I'll be right down, dear!" She called to her boyfriend. She looked in her mirror and took a deep breath.

David looked up as Regina entered the kitchen. "Hey, you," he said as he moved to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He gave her a slow kiss. "You look like you're feeling better," he pointed out, not releasing her from his embrace.

"I am, thank you," she said. "Dear, I need to talk to you about something," she said.

He furrowed his brow worriedly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she said, offering him a small smile. "Um, let's go sit in the living room," she suggested. He followed her out to the couch, confused as to why his girlfriend was being so cryptic. They sat on the couch together and Regina immediately clasped her hands together, playing with her fingers. "Okay, I'm really not sure how to approach this, so I'm just going to come out and say it…" She took a deep breath and finally spat out the words. "I'm pregnant."

David's eyes widened substantially. "You're pregnant?"

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything if you don't want to…" Regina proceeded to ramble on about how she wanted him to be part of the child's life if he wanted to, and if he didn't then that was fine, too. During her rambling, she didn't even notice the wide smile forming on the former prince's face. "I want you to be part of—" David covered her mouth with his, kissing her with more love than she ever would have expected.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk to much?" He teased.

She smiled. Tears much different than the ones she'd shed only a few hours ago glistened in her eyes. "So you're in?"

He chuckled and leaned his forehead against hers, gently caressing the back of her neck with his hand. "Of course I am." He kissed her again softly. "I love you, Regina." He trailed his hand along her midsection. "And I'm going to love our baby."

She smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She'd never been happier in her entire life. For a moment, all of the pain and sadness was gone. Regina was happy again.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	13. The First Sonogram

Regina woke from her slumber to sunlight streaming through the window, a warm body pressed against her back, and a hand covering her stomach protectively. She ran her hand over his and squeezed gently. He stirred a bit, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine, and pulling her closer to his body.

She found it amazing how perfectly their bodies fit together and how she'd gone so long without being close to someone that way. It had been forty years since someone held her that way: like he never wanted her to go. Leopold had never been affectionate. She had been purely a egg donor, only there to produce a child, which she could never give. She'd always thought it was because of her. That there was something wrong with her body. But now she knew that it wasn't her fault.

But it still bothered her that she was pregnant. This shouldn't have happened. The curse made it impossible. No one ages. No one gets pregnant. Everything stays the same.

She was brought out of her thoughts by a pair of lips pressing gently against the nape of her neck. He hummed contentedly. "Good morning," said David, as he continued to place kisses along the side of her neck to her shoulder. "Seems like you slept well."

It was true. They had fallen asleep in the exact same position in which they awoke. "Actually, I can't remember ever sleeping that well," she told him.

"Me neither," he said. "We certainly know how to make some magic together." He placed another kiss on her neck.

Regina smirked, her memory going off into the past…

* * *

_He pushed her against the wall of her bedchamber roughly, his mouth attacking hers in a desperate, messy kiss. Usually she initiated these encounters, but this time, he'd been making his way past her castle and dropped in._

_She was toxic, and he was addicted._

_He sucked on her earlobe and then moved down her neck. As soon as his mouth left hers, she spoke. "So, finally had enough of your dear wife?" He bit into her neck, and she let out a loud moan, making his arousal grow. "It's only been two days," she continued. _

"_Don't ruin it," he retorted before pressing his mouth to hers again. His hands held her face as she gripped his shirt, pulling him in closer. She was confused by his response. He would usually respond with a quick backlash. A "shut up" or "fuck you."_

_She pushed the thought aside, ripping his shirt down the middle. "Oops," she said, mockingly innocent._

_James grinned and pressed her against the wall again, his hands working at the buttons of her jacket. He helped pull it off of her, revealing a strapless corset. He groaned as he pulled her back to him and unlaced the garment, letting it fall with the jacket. He picked her up so she was straddling his waist and carried her to the bed, where he lay her on her back, never breaking the passionate kiss as he crawled on top of her. She instantly threw him onto his back and straddled him, bringing her lips down to his neck, where she sucked hard, leaving a little bruise on his neck. His hands wandered down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze as she ground herself into him._

_Regina knew something was very different about this encounter. He wasn't fighting for dominance like he usually did. He was letting her take control. He willingly submitted to the queen, but that's not how their relationship was supposed to be. She wanted him to push back._

_She moved off of him, standing on the floor by the bed, thinking that giving him a little show would provoke the animal inside the prince. She turned to the side so he was viewing her in profile and unfastened her leather pants. She began to pull them off, giving a little extra wiggle to keep his attention. _

_James sat up and watched her in amazement, his mouth slightly agape. She was so incredibly sexy. "Come here," he said softly._

_Regina furrowed her brow. "What?" She aggressively asked him._

_He grinned slightly. "Come. Here," he repeated, only slightly more forceful than before. She stepped forward only a bit, rewarding him. He got up and strode toward her with undeniable swagger._

_But instead of the rough greeting she expected, she was met with calloused hands gently cupping her face and pulling her into a soft kiss. Her heart fluttered, and she felt a familiar tingling sensation around them. James felt it, too. They pulled only an inch apart and discovered the light cloud of purple magic surrounding them._

_Her eyes widened in recognition and she pushed him away, quickly using magic to dress them again. "Leave," she barked._

_He looked at her in confusion. "What was that?" He asked, ignoring her orders._

"_Nothing for you to concern yourself with." She was utterly cold and unfeeling, or so it seemed._

"_Regina," he said. "You and I both know that wasn't nothing."_

_She looked at him coldly and folded her arms. "This was just supposed to be sex, James. And you've gone and ruined it."_

_He did a double take. "What the hell are you talking about?"_

"_Pure animal sex. That's what this was. And now you've gone all soft and romantic on me. We're done. It's over. Go back to your wife," she said, turning to leave._

"_Not until you tell me what's going on." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, his arms firmly around her waist. He looked into her eyes and saw the fear behind them. "What was that?"_

_She couldn't will herself to move. She was terrified of the intimacy, but she craved it at the same time. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." She finally forced herself to push him away. "Get. Out."_

_He furrowed his brow angrily before storming out of the room, leaving the queen alone in her bedchamber._

"_Goddammit," she muttered. She waved her arm and across the room a glass shattered._

* * *

Regina snapped back to reality as she felt David roll over and sit up. She propped herself on her elbows and looked over at him before crawling over and wrapping her arms around his neck. She placed a small kiss on his cheek and held him tightly, gently rocking back and forth. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he said. "I just hope I'm a good father to this baby," he told her, leaning his head against hers.

"I have no doubt you will be," she said. "You're a wonderful man, and you're going to be an amazing father."

He turned around to her. "You're perfect," he said.

She gave a small smile. "I'm far from it, my dear. But I'm trying."

"No," he said. He quickly flipped and took her waist lying her flat on her back as he straddled her. "You are beautiful." He kissed the tip of her nose. "You are intelligent." A kiss on her right cheek. "You are kind." Left cheek. "You are absolutely perfect, and I love you." He finished his speech with a long, slow kiss on her lips. Her hands snaked up to rest on the back of his neck.

They kissed for a minute before Regina finally spoke. "I have to go to the doctor." She tried to move him, but he remained on top of her.

"You've got a little time, don't you?" He leaned down and kissed her again, and when his guard was down, she took the opportunity to flip over on top of him and gracefully roll off the bed and onto her feet.

"No, I don't," she insisted. "I have to be at the hospital at ten." She walked into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth.

He entered the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her waist as she brushed her teeth. He kissed the back of her head. "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked.

Regina spit into the sink and rinsed her mouth. "Don't you have work?" She asked, reaching for her face wash.

"I'm sure Matt can cover me for a while," he said. "I want to see our baby." He kissed her shoulder.

"Well, dear, I imagine it's not very big yet. I'm only three weeks along," she told him, rinsing her face.

"But you can still see it," he said. He gave her another kiss on the back of her head before reaching for the toothbrush he kept in her bathroom.

She patted her face dry and began applying her makeup. She missed the convenience of magic in this particular area. She poked herself in the eye with liner god knows how many times in the last few months. She was getting better though. "You can come if you'd like," she said. "I don't know how entertaining it will be, though."

He waited until she moved the pencil away from her eye before taking her by the shoulders and turning her body to face him. "Any time I spend with you is absolutely worth it," he said, kissing her again.

She smiled into the kiss before pulling away to finish applying her makeup. "Would you mind going downstairs let Lady out?" She asked when he finished brushing his teeth.

"Sure. Just let me get dressed," he said. He always kept clothes at her house for nights he ended up staying over in the mansion.

It didn't take much time before he was on the lower level. Lady was curled up in her doggy bed in the living room, but as he approached, she roused and began wagging her tail excitedly. "C'mon, Lady, let's go outside," he said.

They exited the side door so Lady could do her business. It was remarkable how well-trained she was. There was no fence or anything to keep her from running away, but she didn't try anything. She did her thing and ran back inside.

He walked into the kitchen, Lady trailing behind. He started making scrambled eggs, one of the few things he could actually cook. Breakfast was almost ready when his girlfriend arrived in the kitchen. "You're making breakfast?" She said. "Thank you, dear." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Hello, Lady," she said to the excited cocker spaniel wagging her tail at Regina's feet. She leaned down and scratched the puppy behind her ear.

Regina moved and sat at the dining room table, where David brought her breakfast. "Thank you," she said. Thankfully her morning sickness wasn't bad that morning. She attributed that to David. They ate in comfortable silence before heading to the hospital.

* * *

"_Rumple!" The Queen barked as the cloud of purple smoke dissipated._

"_Yes, dearie. What is it you need?" He asked from inside the cell. _

"_Oh, you know very well why I came here," she said threateningly._

"_Ah yes," he said. "Your little tryst with the prince." She walked toward him, hands on her hips in a domineering fashion. "You want to know why there was magic the last time."_

_The Evil Queen watched him with a snarl as he remained sitting on the floor of his dungeon, silently demanding an answer. "You know very well what that was, dearie."_

"_That's impossible," she bit back._

"_Well, what explanation do you have then?" She remained silent, glaring at the imp before her. "You see, just because your stable boy was your true—"_

"_Don't speak of him!" She barked. The Queen was livid. Rumple had no right to bring up Daniel. "What are you insinuating?"_

"_Oh, you know exactly what I'm saying," Rumplestiltskin responded. "Or have you forgotten everything I taught you?" She rolled her eyes. "I can only give you my honest answer, dearie. You can reject it all you want. Doesn't make it any less true."_

_The Queen's eyes narrowed before she disappeared in her cloud of smoke once more. It was time to enact the curse._

* * *

Regina and David sat in the waiting room of the hospital. She sat with her legs crossed and her hands folded on her lap. She was tapping her foot nervously. David reached over and held her clasped hands. "It's going to be fine," he said, offering a smile.

Her foot stopped moving and she relaxed at his touch. "Thank you," she said. He gave her hands a squeeze. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you, too." It was so easy. So simple. Regina was amazed at how in just a few months she'd gone from burying all of her feelings to allowing them to flow freely. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before returning to her original position.

"Madame Mayor?" Dr. Whale brought Regina and David back to the exam room. He proceeded to ask a series of questions about the couple's medical history, which they complied with easily. Then he stood. "Are you ready to see your baby?" He asked.

Regina inhaled deeply before nodding her head. David held her hand throughout the process and lifted it to his lips, giving it a small kiss. Whale prepped her still flat stomach. The gel was cold, and she jumped a bit at the feeling. "Do you see that?" Whale said, looking at the monitor. "That's your baby," he said.

The couple looked at the little spot on the monitor where the embryo had formed. Regina felt a tear come to her eye. David kissed her happily, and she smiled into him as the tear fell down her cheek.

She was finally going to have everything she wanted.


	14. Don't Say Anything

**New chapter! Yaaaaay!**

* * *

Five months went by, and Regina's stomach continued to grow. She was constantly craving all the foods she normally wouldn't eat. In fact, she craved a cheeseburger with French fries and a chocolate milkshake almost every day at lunch time. Some days she indulged, but most days she fought the urge to fill her stomach with all the greasy food she never should have eaten.

David had moved in. He spent little to no time at his own apartment, and they saw no use in him paying for his own place when he could just as easily live with Regina officially. That particular afternoon, they were sprawled out on the couch, David with his arm around Regina, protecting her growing belly as they watched reruns of _Bewitched _on TV with Lady curled up on the armchair.

He was absentmindedly rubbing her stomach when he felt something beneath his hand. "Regina?" He whispered as she smiled. "Was that what I think it was?"

She nodded, placing her hand over his. "Our baby is kicking," she said quietly.

He started kissing her all over, never removing his hand from her pregnant belly. "I'm so excited," he said, placing a kiss to the ticklish spot on her neck and making her jump. "I've always wanted to be a dad," he said.

"I picked a name if we have a boy," she said with a smile. They'd agreed not to find out the sex of the baby until it was born.

"What is it?" He asked, squeezing her a little tighter.

"Henry," she said. "It was my father's name," she told him.

"I love it," he said, kissing her again.

* * *

"_Regina?"_

"_Don't say anything." She pushed him against the wall and kissed him hard, her hands immediately working to push his jacket from his shoulders. He complied as she continued kissing down to his neck, sucking at his pulse point. He let out a moan as she pulled away and bit the bruise hard._

_When she pulled away and began working at his pants, he finally got a good look at her. Her eyes were bloodshot. "You've been crying," he said. "What happened?"_

_She kissed him hard again, her hands shoving his pants down his legs. "I thought I told you not to say anything."_

"_And I thought you told me this was over," he countered, not pulling away as she continued her ministrations on his neck._

"_Well now it's not," she said. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like you to stop talking and start fucking me."_

_He could see she was just trying to keep her mask in place. She didn't want to be weak, but in their moments of physical intimacy, he'd seen more of her soul than he thought even she realized, so he pulled her into a strong embrace, his arms wrapped around her waist._

_Instinctively, her arms flew around his neck, but when she realized what was happening, she didn't bother pulling away. She allowed the man to hold her and comfort her as she began to cry._

_He moved his head just enough to place a soft kiss on her shoulder. As her crying slowed, he asked again, "Regina, what happened?"_

_A gentle sob came from the queen before she was finally able to say, "My father is dead. I needed his heart for the curse. I just killed the last person who loved me unconditionally."_

_Her body began to shake as she started crying again. It was the first time he'd ever seen true human emotion from the usually stoic queen. How could he continue to have these feelings for her when she just admitted to killing her own father? When she was the Evil Queen? When he was in love with Snow White?_

_He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly, but this time she didn't pull away. She allowed him to continue kissing her in such an emotionally intimate way, finding that she liked the contact. His tongue ran across her bottom lip, requesting entrance, and she complied, allowing him to explore her further as the purple cloud of magic began to swirl about them again._

_He led her to the bed and lay her down before climbing on top of her and kissing down her body, stopping at her breasts. He took the right nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue over it gently and causing her to moan as he bit lightly on the hard nub. He repeated the process with her other breast before kissing his way down to her core. As his hot mouth made contact with her swollen clit, she arched her back, aching for him to increase the pressure on the sensitive area._

_His tongue ran up her slit before returning to the sensitive bundle of nerves and slowly pressing two fingers into her. He curved his fingers in a come hither motion, stroking against the sensitive spot inside her. She started breathing faster. "James," she whispered as her climax approached. "Please."_

_He bit down lightly on her clit as a third finger pushed into her, curving against her g-spot, and she came undone with a soft cry of "Oh god!"_

_He licked up her slit again as she came down from her high, her juices coating his tongue deliciously before he climbed on top of her, placing a long, slow kiss on her lips. The light purple cloud was still moving around them, but it was increasing in speed._

"_James," she whispered through the kiss._

"_Yes?" He moved his mouth to her neck, where he lightly sucked her pulse point._

"_I want you," she whimpered._

_He looked into her eyes, seeing the conflicted emotions from within her. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He didn't know what this meant. He only knew that in that moment, the only thing he wanted was to be with this woman. This broken woman who needed someone to love her. Maybe he would be the one to love her again._

* * *

David's hand was intertwined with Regina's as they walked toward the diner. He brought it up and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. Lady was on her leash, walking calmly until she saw Ruby and bolted in her direction.

Regina tugged on the leash, but Lady was quick and ripped it from her hand, running toward the waitress and jumping excitedly. "Hello!" The young brunette said excitedly as she picked up the puppy. "And hello!" She said to the couple who had just increased their pace in order to catch up with the puppy.

"Thank you, dear," said Regina, taking the puppy into her arms. "I don't know what got into her. She's usually so well behaved."

"Aww, she just likes me." The young waitress scratched Lady's head affectionately. "You two coming in?"

"Yes, we are," said David, gesturing toward the door for the women to go ahead of him. He followed, holding the door as they entered, ever the gentleman.

The pair sat in a booth toward the back, where Regina gave in to her pregnancy craving and David ordered the same. "What about girl names?" He asked. Regina looked at him blankly. "We decided on a name if it's a boy. What about if it's a girl?"

Regina smiled. She could feel that the baby growing inside of her was going to be a boy. She didn't know how, but she just knew. But it would still be a good idea to think of girl names just in case. "Oh," she said. "I'm not sure. Henry just came to me."

"Okay, well what do you think about Elizabeth?"

Regina quirked her lips to the side. "I like it," she said. "I don't love it though."

They went back and forth about baby names through dinner, eventually settling on Allison or Britney for a girl.

Then Regina brought up another point. "What about last names?"

David tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we aren't married. We have different last names. What will our baby's last name be?"

"Well," he said, shifting in his seat, "I thought I'd leave that up to you."

"Really?" She said, sipping the last of her milkshake.

"Yeah," he said. "You're the one who has to carry the baby. It should be your choice." She smiled at him and he moved around the table to sit by her, wrapping his arm around her and placing a kiss to her temple.

"I love you," she said in response.

"I love you, too," he said, squeezing her with his one arm. It was so natural, so easy, and Regina smiled, knowing that what could have been had actually become reality.

* * *

**Please review! The reviews for the last chapter kept me going with this fic. I had hit a major block, but knowing that you all like the story and want to read more helps me keep going. Love to all you Evil Charmers!**


	15. Recovered Memories

**Another new chapter! Yay! Hope you love it!**

* * *

_She wrapped the corset around her body, using magic to tie the laces. James was still lying on the bed, now wearing just his pants. He lay on his stomach, watching her as she used magic to tie her hair up in an intricate updo. She caught him out of the corner of his eye. "What?" She said._

"_You're beautiful."_

_It was blunt. It seemed so simple. As if there were no issue of Snow or that Regina was the Evil Queen or that she was about to enact the curse to end all curses. In that moment, she was just Regina. He was just James. There were no preconceptions of good and evil. A small smile involuntarily crept to her mouth as she looked in the mirror, trying to hide it from her lover. "Stop," she said through the grin._

"_No," he said, swinging his legs off the bed and walking over to her. He took her hands in his, stroking the back of them with his thumbs. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Regina, what was that purple smoke?" He asked._

_She sighed. "James, I thought we dropped this."_

"_No, you dropped it. I want to know why it is that when we make love—"_

_She waved her hand, effectively silencing him. "Don't say that," she whispered. No matter how true it was, she couldn't admit that she had done anything more than just fuck the prince. She couldn't admit that she'd developed feelings for the only man to make her feel wanted in five years. Even if their encounters had taken a turn in a more emotional direction._

_He cupped her face in his hands, kissing her gently. All she wanted was to melt into him. And she found she couldn't push away, instead clutching him as if her life depended on it as his mouth moved softly, perfectly against hers. "Love," she whispered when they parted._

"_What?" He asked, astounded._

_She closed her eyes. "It only happens when people who share true love…" She gestured to the bed._

"_That's impossible, though. Snow is…"_

"_True love can change, dear. You can truly love someone but fall out of love with her."_

_He furrowed his brows and shook his head. "Why does it happen with you when it never happened with her?"_

"_Because I have magic. Snow doesn't," she said._

"_So will this happen every time?" James asked. She looked at him, disconcerted. "I mean, if there _is _a next time."_

_She shook her head. "I'm enacting the curse tonight. You won't remember me in the morning," she said. She turned to go._

"_Regina." He pulled her back to face him. She hadn't let go of his hand, and they found neither of them wanted to break the contact for fear of if being the last time. He gazed into her eyes before pulling her close, hugging her tightly around the neck as her arms wrapped around his waist. "Please don't do this," he said. "Please," he whispered, tears falling from his eyes._

_She held him before pulling away. "Goodbye, James," she said._

* * *

The mayor jolted awake in bed, the memory hitting her like a brick. "Regina?" She turned to her boyfriend, who had woken with her. "Are you okay, baby?" He kissed her shoulder.

She offered him a shaky smile. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a nightmare." She swung her legs off the bed. "I'm going to get some water. Go back to sleep. You have to be at work in a few hours," she said, motioning to the clock that showed it was four-thirty in the morning.

"You sure you're okay?" He asked groggily. The mayor nodded as she wrapped her robe around herself. "Alright, then. Let me know if you need anything," he said with a yawn before passing out on his pillow again.

Regina walked down to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, downing most of it quickly. The curse was supposed to leave all of her memories intact. Why was she only just now remembering these moments with James? Upon first arriving in Storybrooke, she only had the memories of their rough, emotionless encounters. Suddenly she was remembering more and more of her relationship with Prince Charming.

She closed her eyes, trying to dig into the deepest confines of her memory, but there was nothing else. The memories came when they wanted. She couldn't force herself to remember, nor could she keep herself from remembering.

She finished off her water before walking back up to her bedroom, trying to push aside the worries that plagued her mind.

* * *

_Regina's magic opened the doors to Snow White and Prince Charming's castle with a bang. Her men rushed past her, storming the castle. Regina wanted to find her former stepdaughter and gloat._

_She swiftly made her way through the castle as the magic from her curse began to overtake their land. She smiled evilly as she felt more power than she'd ever experienced in her life flood her body. It was absolutely invigorating. _

_Suddenly she heard a cry coming from down the hall. She made her way toward it as her guards came out of the room and began running to their next task._

_The Evil Queen felt something very wrong within her, and her heart raced as she made her way to the room. There, she found James lying on the floor with his eyes closed tightly. He was bleeding profusely from his abdomen. She tried to put her walls up. She wanted to destroy all of the evidence that she'd ever fallen for the prince and leave him there to die, but as she turned to run, she heard a groan come from the man and the unmistakable plea for her. "Regina?"_

_Her heart wrenched in a way it hadn't since that day she saw her love's heart ripped out of him in the stables, and she couldn't stay away. She ran to his side, tears already forming in her eyes. "James?" She whispered, cradling his head in her hands._

_His eyes flew open. "Help me," he whispered. Only then did Regina realize he'd called for her without realizing her presence. She looked at the wound on his stomach and placed her hand over it, allowing her magic to heal the wound her soldiers had created. Almost instantly, James was good as new. He sat up quickly. _

"_You saved me," he said almost questioningly. The two looked into each others' eyes for a moment before he finally came to. "Regina, please don't do this," he said, moving to his knees and taking her face in his hands. "This isn't who you want to be. We can be happy here."_

"_No," she said. "We can't. __**I **__can't be happy here. Don't you understand?" She said, tears falling from her face in a way she hated showing him. "Every day she lives is a mockery to my existence. Every time she's called the fairest of them all is an insult to his memory!" Regina clamped her mouth shut, not quite believing that she'd just allowed Prince Charming to see into the deepest part of her soul._

_He brought her face closer to his. "What happened?"_

_Tears formed in her eyes, and a maddened smile appeared on her face, sending shivers down his spine. "I've finally won."_

"_Regina, this isn't you! Please! Stop this! We can be happy." He never would have expected to say those words to her, his sworn enemy, but Prince Charming was completely, hopelessly in love with the Evil Queen. "I love you," he said._

_He pressed his lips to hers desperately, hoping to communicate how much he didn't want to lose the memories he had with her. He pulled her impossibly close, wrapping his arms around her waist as her hands clutched his hair._

"_What is going on in here?" Charming and the Evil Queen broke their kiss and looked up to find none other than Snow White standing in the doorway, tears already streaming down her face. "Charming?" She sobbed._

"_Snow—" He didn't even have a chance to explain because at that moment, the cloud of magic began to tear apart the ceiling of the palace, engulfing the inhabitants in purple smoke._

* * *

Regina had woken with a massive headache. It seemed that she was remembering more and more of her past with Charming every night. Sometimes they came in snippets of time and other nights produced days worth of memories, but no matter how long or short the memory was, the result was always Regina bolting upright in bed in a cold sweat, breathing hard as the father of her unborn child tried to comfort her.

She reached down and placed a hand over her stomach. The baby was due any day now, and she'd been put on maternity leave, so she sat on the couch in her study, trying to read _The Great Gatsby_, but unable to focus on anything except the new memories that assaulted her mind.

The doorbell rang and Regina got off the couch, semi-waddling to the door. She opened it to find none other than Emma Swan. "Emma," she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help," the blonde said nervously.

"Well I hope it doesn't involve much travel. I've been instructed to move around as little as possible," she said.

Emma shook her head. "No. I just…I have a date tonight, and I was hoping you could help me," she said.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Help you how?"

"I haven't been on a real date in so long, and I just want to look perfect for her. I was hoping you could help me figure out what to do with all of this," she said, motioning with her hands from head to toe.

Regina put her hands on her hips and smirked before motioning with one arm for Emma to enter her home. She closed the door and said, "So who's the lucky lady? Anyone I know?"

She led Emma upstairs to her bedroom, where the blonde sat at her vanity, allowing the older woman to begin brushing her hair. "Actually, it's someone you know very well," Emma said, adding sheepishly, "That's kind of why I came to you for help. You know what she likes."

"Emma, who is it?" Regina clicked on the curling iron.

The younger woman took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's Ruby," she said.

Regina's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline. "Really, now?" She said. "I knew she broke up with Billy, but she didn't tell me it was because…" She motioned to Emma with one hand, effectively finishing her sentence.

"Well, I knew I liked her, but I figured since she was with Billy, I'd never have a shot," Emma said shyly. "But we went out for drinks one night with Mary-Margaret, Ashley, and Lacey. We had a few in us, so we started dancing, and before I knew it, we were making out in the ladies' room."

"How romantic," Regina teased dryly, knowing her brunette friend really didn't mind where she had sex so long as she got off. "So, you really like her?" Regina asked.

"I really do," Emma said, unable to control the smile spreading to her face.

"Well then I'm going to make you look so fantastic she won't be able to resist."

Regina proceeded to spend the next hour primping Emma so she looked even more gorgeous than she naturally was. She dabbed a bit of clear lip gloss onto the center of Emma's top and bottom lips in order to make them look fuller before allowing Emma to look into the mirror again. "Holy shitballs," the younger woman said. "That's amazing!"

Blonde hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders. They were very similar to her natural texture, but with a bit of product and a curling iron, Regina had managed to tame what tended to become a tangled mess. Her green eyes sparkled under the bit of lavender eye shadow applied to the lids. Regina had swiped a bit of mascara onto her lashes and Emma's lips were pinker and plumper than when she'd come into the mansion. Regina smiled at her own handiwork. "I wanted to keep you looking natural, but with a little kick," she said, lightly bumping Emma's shoulder with her hip.

"Regina, this is amazing. Thank you so much," Emma said.

"Regina?!" David's voice called from the foyer as he entered the house.

"In the bedroom!" She called. She fluffed Emma's hair a bit before David came through the door.

"Whoa," he said when he saw Emma. "Someone cleans up good," he said.

"Thanks," Emma said. She looked up at Regina. "I should be going." She stood and gave her friend a hug. "Thanks so much."

"You're very welcome," said the mayor. "Have fun tonight."

"I will," Emma said with a smile and a wink, causing Regina to laugh. "I can see myself out," Emma told her.

When Emma left the room, Regina went into the bathroom, where David was about to get in the shower. "How's the baby?" He asked, removing his shirt.

"Good," she said. "Just trying to move around in there," she said.

"Any day now, we're going to have a baby," he said, a wide smile crossing his face. He caressed her cheek and leaned in to kiss her when her eyes widened in surprise and she let out a little gasp. "You okay?" He asked.

She looked down and back up at him, laughing in surprise. "I think my water just broke!"

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**OHMYGOD IT'S BABY TIME! Please leave your thoughts! Reviews are amazing!**


	16. Labor

**This is a short chapter. And there are no flashbacks (sorry!), but I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

David drove Regina to the hospital. She was surprisingly calm for a woman in labor, but then again, Regina was almost always composed.

Once inside, Regina was immediately admitted to a private room where Dr. Whale came in and checked on her. "Alright, you're only at one centimeter right now," he said. "I'm going to warn you: this is probably going to be a long labor."

Her head fell back against the pillow. "Goddammit," she muttered. Just as she'd fallen back, a contraction hit and she doubled over at the pain, her hands gripping the sheets of her bed. She fell back after it subsided. "This is going to suck, isn't it?"

David laughed at her choice of words. She never said the word suck; she said it was crass. He squeezed her hand and kissed her head. "Yes, it probably is. But I'll be here for you the whole time. And," he continued. "When it's over, we're going to have a baby."

Regina smiled and pulled him into a long, slow kiss. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you, too."

The next six hours went by very slowly. Regina's contractions were getting worse, and she was barely dilated 3 centimeters.

"Thanks, Archie," David said into the phone. "I really appreciate it." He came back into the room carrying a cup of coffee for himself and some water for Regina. "I just asked Archie to check on Lady. Doesn't look like you're going to be getting out of here any time soon.

"You don't have to stay, dear," she said, taking the cup of water from his hand and sipping it.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said. He ran his fingers through her hair soothingly and crawled onto the bed next to her, taking her in his arms. "How are the contractions?"

"Awful," she replied. "They just keep getting worse without much result." She snuggled against his shoulder. "Luckily they don't happen that close together. When do I get the fucking epidural?"

David laughed. His girlfriend was becoming more and more vulgar by the hour. "Dr. Whale said you can have it when you're at five centimeters."

"So another couple days?" She teased.

"Glad to see your sense of humor is intact," he said through a chuckle.

"Hey guys," Ruby whispered as she and Emma walked in. "How are you feeling?" She asked the mayor.

Regina shook her head. "Not so great."

"Sorry, honey," Ruby said, taking a seat in the chair on Regina's side of the bed.

"You two didn't need to cut your date short to come here," Regina said, looking at Emma and just barely missing her handing something to David.

"Oh, don't worry," the blonde said. "We'll resume it later." She wagged her eyebrows suggestively and laughed.

Ruby laughed with her. "Besides," she said. "Auntie Ruby wanted to see if the kid was out yet."

"Our child seems to be very stubborn," said Regina.

"Just like his or her mother," David teased, earning a light slap on the shoulder. "But it's part of why I love you," he amended. She gave him a quick kiss.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Ruby asked.

Regina shook her head. "Just go out and have fun," she told the younger women. "Enjoy the rest of your date."

The two ladies smiled. Ruby squeezed Regina's hand and left with her date. Regina saw the blonde's arm wrap around Ruby's waist as she gave her a kiss on the shoulder, and it made the mayor smile. "I hope things work out for them," she said.

"Me too." He smiled and kissed her head. "Hey, Regina?" She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows, signaling she was receptive. "I love you," he said seriously. "And I feel like I've loved you forever. You are a beautiful, smart, incredible woman, and I am so excited for this baby."

"Me too," she said with a smile. "I'm so happy we're having this child together."

"Well, I'm hoping that what I'm about to say will make you even happier," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what Emma had just given him. "Will you marry me?"

Inside the little black box was a silver ring with a small diamond. It was simple, but absolutely beautiful. "I know it isn't much—"

"David, it's perfect," she breathed, pulling him into a hard kiss.

Their mouths moved against each other for a moment before he finally pulled away. "So, is that a yes?"

"No," she teased. "Of course it's a yes!" Neither of them could wipe the smile from their faces if they'd wanted to. He took her left hand and slid the ring on her fourth finger.

A few more hours went by, and Regina was eventually dilated five centimeters, allowing the nurse to give her an epidural. From that point, Regina was much more comfortable, but it wasn't until the next evening that she was fully dilated.

"Alright, Regina," Dr. Whale said, positioning himself between the mayor's legs. "When I say push, you push as hard as you can," he said.

Regina nodded. David was positioned behind her, and her hands gripped his. At Dr. Whale's command, Regina pushed hard, squeezing her fiancé's hands for support. She fell back against him after her first push. "Good," Dr. Whale said. "Ready? Push." Regina pushed again, her face contorting as she tried to force the baby out of her body.

After half an hour of pushing, the baby was almost out. "Okay, Regina," he said. "I know this is hard, but I need you to push one more time."

"I can't," she breathed. Her face was coated in a thin layer of sweat.

David pushed aside a piece of hair that stuck to her forehead. "You can do this, Regina," he whispered in her ear. "Just one more push."

She nodded softly and took a deep breath, pushing harder than she had in the last half hour.

"He's out," Dr. Whale said. He gave Regina and David's child to the nurse, who took the baby to be cleaned.

Regina breathed heavily and relaxed into David's strong body. He wrapped his arms protectively around her, kissing her temple. "You did it, baby," he said. "You did it."

She smiled weakly before closing her eyes and falling asleep in his arms.

Two hours later, she woke. David had fallen asleep behind her, and his arms were still wrapped around her body. She smiled at the feeling of being wrapped in his safe, strong arms. She sighed contentedly as she felt a kiss being pressed to her temple.

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"Better. I never want to hear the word 'push' again," she said.

He chuckled and kissed her head again.

"Mayor Mills?" The nurse said as she walked through the door. "Are you ready to see your son?"

Wide smiles crossed the faces of both adults as they nodded their heads. The nurse then brought in a baby swaddled in a blue blanket. Regina started to tear up at the sight of her baby. She extended her arms, and little Henry was placed in her arms. "He's beautiful," she breathed.

"Yes, he is," said David.

Regina gently touched Henry's little face with her thumb. "I love you, Henry," she said. She gave him the smallest of kisses on his tiny forehead. A familiar wave of magic washed over her, blowing her hair back. _It can't be_, she thought.

The curse was broken.


	17. I Remember

**Sorry for the long wait resulting in a short chapter. But it's got some important things going on. I'm struggling with the muse, so please forgive me for the long waits. Summer break is coming up soon, so I'll be able to post a lot more frequently then. For now, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Regina stared at the little boy in her arms. "_What?_" She said, furrowing her brow as she felt the gust fly through the room. She felt her now fiancé freeze behind her. No doubt his memories had returned. The queen felt her heart breaking. _I'm going to lose everything. Everything that I've found and loved here…I'm going to lose it._

She felt tears start to well up in her eyes as he got out from behind her and walked calmly toward the door, which he locked. He slowly turned to her. His face revealed nothing. He was stone in that moment, and Regina hated that. She hated that she couldn't tell what he was thinking or what he was about to do.

"So," he said. "What now?"

Regina quirked an eyebrow. "You just found out you were cursed, forgetting everything about your life for almost a year, and your only response is 'what now?' You're not going to yell or scream or cry or try to kill me?"

"Oh, believe me, I have plenty of questions to ask you, but I'd like you to live long enough to get to answer them. And since people know that you're here, we don't have much time."

"I just went through twenty-four hours of labor. You think I'm actually able to go anywhere right now?"

"I was hoping that maybe you could use magic to get yourself home."

"Dav—James, that kind of magic requires the sorcerer to be in good health. I can't do it until I've regained more energy."

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Well then I guess I'll just have to protect you," he said, shrugging.

She raised an eyebrow. "And _why_, might I ask, would you want to protect _me_?"

"Because I love you."

She blinked several times, not quite believing him. "You fell in love with me here. As Mayor Mills. Not as the Evil Queen that I truly am."

"Regina," he said, "I started remembering who I was the first time we slept together."

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"I was having these dreams before we started dating. And once we slept together, I realized they weren't dreams…they were memories. Since then, I've started remembering more and more of life in the Enchanted Forest."

Regina pursed her lips. "Why didn't you say anything?"

He moved to her and sat on the bed beside her. "Because I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to go back to that life. I wanted what we had here for as long as I could enjoy it without having to deal with any of the issues we had back in our land." He caressed her cheek, pleased when she leaned into him the slightest bit. "I fell in love with you there, and I know you fell in love with me, too." He ran his thumb along her cheekbone, wiping a tear that had fallen from her eye.

She nodded the slightest bit. "I did…"

He smiled at her and leaned in, giving her a tender kiss that stole her breath away. "I love you," he breathed as he pulled away. "And I'm going to be by your side as we raise little Henry Mills."

"Henry _Nolan_-Mills," she corrected.

He smiled widely. "I actually didn't have a last name in our land," he noted.

"Yes, but I still want him to have your name, too," she said. "And now that we're in this world, you need a last name."

"James Nolan," he pondered. "I like it."

He kissed her again before finally hearing a loud banging on the door. "Let me in!"

Regina's eyes nearly flew out of her head. "Whale," she breathed. "Oh my god, he's going to kill me."

James' instincts kicked in. "No, he's not," he said. He walked toward the door and pushed it open roughly, forcing the doctor backward. Then he closed the door quickly and leaned against it, folding his arms. "You're not going to hurt her," he said.

"That bitch _cursed _us!" The doctor shouted.

"I don't care," James spat. "That woman is my fiancée and the mother of my child. Nobody is getting near her."

"I'm her doctor," Whale said, attempting to trump the prince.

"No. Not anymore." The prince turned and walked back into the room, Whale shoving his way through with him.

But Regina and Henry were gone.

* * *

Regina collapsed, careful to land on her back so to protect the infant in her arms. He started crying from the surprise of the jolt, but was unharmed otherwise. She held him close to her chest, trying to soothe him. "Shhh," she cooed. "It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy's here." She tried to stand, but she found she couldn't. All of her energy was spent transporting herself home.

_Regina listened to the argument happening outside her room as she felt the magic start to bubble inside her. Magic is emotion. And the strength of Regina's emotions in that moment would be enough to get her home with her baby. They would be safe—at least for a little while._

_She squeezed her eyes shut and summoned her power. At first it was a flicker, a spark within her, but with concentration, she was able to summon her magic just enough to take them home._

_She held him close to her chest, protecting him as they flew from the hospital to her house._

Lady came over and nudged her, trying to get her to move, but it was futile. She finally curled up next to Regina's head protectively. Regina lay on the floor, soothing her son until he finally stopped crying several minutes later. When he finally did, she remained on the hardwood floor of her foyer, hoping that she'd be able to move soon.

* * *

David ran out of the hospital, nearly running over Mary-Margaret. "Charming!" She yelled. He continued walking to his truck, trying to avoid her. "Why are you walking away from me?"

"Mary-Margaret, I don't have time for this right now," he said, fumbling to remove his car keys from his pocket.

"You don't have time to explain your affair with Regina?" She said defensively.

"No. I don't. She and my son are in danger, and I'm going to save them. If you really want to talk, then hop in," he said, gesturing to the passenger seat.

She folded her arms defensively, maintaining her ground. But when she realized her husband was seriously going to drive away, she stepped into the passenger side and James bolted out of the parking lot.

"Charming, the last thing I remember before we were cursed is walking in on you two. How am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"You don't have to be okay with it," he said. "You just have to accept that it happened."

"But it's done," she said, prompting him. "Because now you've realized that she's a vindictive bitch who doesn't deserve you," she said.

He stopped the car hard, sending them both lurching forward in their seats. "Don't you dare say that about her," he warned. His wife looked at him, her eyes widened in confusion. "She's the mother of my child, and I love her." Snow flinched. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her."

Snow White's next words came out in a whisper as David set the car in motion again. "How long were you sleeping together before the curse?"

He breathed deeply. "It started the day before you ate the apple," he replied honestly.

"You mean…"

He nodded. "You weren't my first," he admitted.

Snow choked out a sob. "I can't believe this," she breathed before finally saying, "But that means she isn't your true love because you still woke me with true love's kiss after you slept with her! See? We can work through this." She had turned in her seat and was gripping his shoulder. "We're still each others' true loves!"

"No, we're not," he said, managing to shrug her off gently as they turned into the driveway. "I didn't love Regina when we first slept together. I hated her. But then…" His voice trailed off.

"Why would you sleep with someone you hated so much?" She asked innocently.

He stopped the car and parked. "Lust. Plain and simple. But then I fell in love with her." He stepped out of the car. "Stay here," he ordered as she tried to step out with him. "I'm not letting you anywhere near my fiancée."

Mary-Margaret did a double-take, and then in a fit of desperation, she cried out, "You know you can't marry her!"

James turned around and gaped at her. "Excuse me?"

"You're married to me." She folded her arms defiantly. "And there's no way I'm divorcing you so you can go off and marry that witch."

The prince curled his hands into fists angrily and clenched his jaw. "You know," he said when he gained control over his anger, "I know you hate her…but I also know you're a good person." He shook his head in disappointment. "I never thought you'd stoop that low," he said, earning the final word and running up the walk to the front door.

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**Please let me know what you think! The more reviews I receive, the more inspired I am to write.**


	18. The Aftermath

**I am so sorry. I am the WORST. Life has been so busy lately and I've not had the chance to sit down and write. So here's finally a chapter for you all. Hopefully the next few weeks will be a little less exhausting so I can give you all more chapters (and hopefully find my muse for Young Love). I really hope you like this chapter, especially after the long wait.**

* * *

"Regina!" James walked into the house to find Regina on the floor, holding Henry against her chest, Lady curled up by her head. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I can't move," she said. "I used all the magic I could muster to get here."

He nodded and bent down. Cradling her in his arms. Impressively enough, he was able to lift mother and son from the ground, carrying them upstairs to the bedroom. "How's Henry?" He whispered as he climbed the staircase, Lady following him carefully.

"He's fine," she told him. "He was a little cranky after the bumpy landing, but I calmed him down." She looked at the tiny baby crooked in her arm. "Isn't that right, Henry?" The infant was sleeping soundly, and his breathing calmed his mother.

James reached the bedroom a few moments later and placed Regina and Henry carefully on the bed. "Do you want me to put him in his crib?" He asked.

Regina shook her head. "I'd rather you come lie down with us," she said.

He smiled at Regina and kicked off his shoes before climbing into bed. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she nuzzled into his neck, the baby still sound asleep. James reached over and gently ran a thumb across the baby's cheek. "He looks just like you," he said.

Regina smiled. "He has your jaw though," she said, not even needing to look at Henry to recall the similarity between her baby and his father. James kissed the top of her head and she smiled against his neck.

* * *

Snow White charged down the sidewalk angrily. She knew the second Charming stepped through the door of the mansion that he wouldn't be coming back out. She was absolutely fuming with rage. Not only did he sleep with her mortal enemy, but he continued to have an affair with her while he was married. Tears stung her eyes. This was not how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be married to Charming, have children, and live happily ever after.

But now he was doing all of that with the Evil Queen.

She let out an angry scream. It was all just so perfect for Regina. She finally got her revenge. And she did it so perfectly. She didn't just put Snow under a sleeping curse, take all of her memories away, and condemn her to a life alone in Storybrooke, but she also managed to take away Snow's husband.

And then Snow came to a realization. "He's cursed!" She said aloud, a combination of horror and elation in her voice.

Ruby cut her off with a big hug. "Snow!"

"I have to go save Charming," Snow said. "He still thinks he's in love with Regina." The pain was resurfacing and the tears started to well up in her eyes. Letting out a choked sob, she explained, "They've been sleeping together since before we got married. And now he says he's in love with her."

Emma, who was standing next to Ruby, furrowed a brow, obviously trying to get all the information. "So…you're married to David."

Snow nodded. "And now he has a baby with our enemy and thinks he's in love with her!" She was absolutely beside herself.

Ruby at this point, was very conflicted. She'd been Snow's friend and ally against the Evil Queen for years back in their land, and she knew what Regina was capable of. But here, Regina wasn't that person. She was fun and interesting. Ruby had been there when Regina got pregnant. Regina was her friend, as odd as that now seemed.

Ruby and Emma exchanged a glance, obviously on the same page. "Snow," Ruby said. "Let's get you home and we'll figure this out tomorrow."

"No!" Snow said, pulling away and heading back in the direction of the mayoral mansion. "I have to go save him! I have to give him True Love's Kiss!"

Emma and Ruby hooked their arms through Snow's, leading her away from Regina's and toward her own apartment. "True Love's Kiss will still work tomorrow. Right now you need to calm down so you don't kill Regina," Ruby said.

Snow struggled. "Oh, but right now I _want _to kill her. I want her to feel the same pain she caused me when I saw them kissing in _my _home!"

"Snow!" Ruby gripped both her arms, making Snow face her. "That is not you! Hasn't there been enough bloodshed in this war between you two?"

Snow clenched her jaw. She knew Ruby was right, but she just wanted her husband back. She was about to agree when the group saw a mob of people headed in the direction Snow had just come from.

"Are they going where I think they're going?" Emma asked, worry lacing her voice.

Ruby nodded, her eyes widening. As much as she wanted to still hate Regina, she'd gotten to see the broken woman underneath, and she knew that there was so much more to the Evil Queen than her reputation. "Come on," she said. The three took off in the direction of the mayoral mansion.

* * *

Regina was nuzzled against James, Henry in her arms and Lady at their feet. The brunette's breathing was slow and regular as she slept in her fiancé's arms. He remained awake, holding her close, enjoying their moments together because he knew that tomorrow the interrogations would begin.

James closed his eyes, reflecting on the last year with Regina. How they'd gone from despising each other to falling in love and having a baby. How it could be that he'd managed to fall in love with her as the Evil Queen and then again as…just Regina.

How had the woman in his arms—this beautiful, intelligent, caring woman—at one point been the most feared sorceress in the realm? She looked so fragile in his arms. So gentle and calm.

James was brought out of his thoughts by an insistent banging on the front door. Regina's eyes flew open. "Oh god," she whispered. "They're already coming to kill me," she said, her eyes widening and her mouth going dry.

He gave her a quick squeeze and kiss on the head. "Stay here," he told her. "I don't want you going down there for this.

"James, I'm not a child."

"Yes, but you have one in your arms and I'm not subjecting our son to a life without his mother," he told her. He noticed her cringe a bit.

He quickly made his way down the stairs to the foyer, opening the front door and closing it behind him as he stepped onto the porch. Immediately when he turned around, he was met with a desperate pair of lips against his own. Soft lips were urgent and familiar, and James would have known the woman kissing him was Snow even if his eyes weren't open in shock. Quickly his hands met her shoulders, gripping them and pushing her off him gently but firmly. "Snow, what are you—"

"True Love's Kiss breaks any curse," she said with a wide, hopeful smile as happy tears stung her eyes. "I needed to break whatever spell she had you under."

He furrowed his brow, and it dawned on him. "Snow…I wasn't cursed." She shook her head, refusing to believe it. "This isn't the best place to have this conversation," he said, referencing the mob that had formed on the lawn.

The tears of joy and hope quickly turned to desperate, dejected sobs as she realized exactly what he was saying. "B-but I-I love y-y-you," she blubbered, clutching his shirt in her fists.

"Sno—" He was cut off as her fists started hitting his chest as she sobbed. The crowd of people had gone completely silent as they watched Snow White attack Prince Charming. He finally was able to catch her by her wrists, ending the onslaught as Ruby ran up and pulled her away. Snow quickly turned and hugged her, burying her face in the taller woman's neck.

"Don't you all have better things to do?" Emma shouted as she stepped up to the porch. Her tone was rough and sarcastic, but it got the point across. Everyone in that crowd wanted Regina dead, but they were more concerned that Snow was having a meltdown and figured she deserved some privacy. James would've been impressed had he not been so focused on his wife.

"Snow, I'm sorry," he said, but was just met with her wracked sobs.

Ruby looked up at James and Emma. "I'm going to take her home," Ruby said. "Come on, honey." She led Snow down the stairs of the porch and down the sidewalk, leaving Emma and James awkwardly on the porch.

"So…" Emma said, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Your fiancée is the Evil Queen…what's _that _like?"

He laughed. "How are you handling all that?"

Emma shrugged. "I'm actually from the Enchanted Forest," she admitted. "I was a princess back in that land, but I was cursed, so I solicited the Blue Fairy's help to get me to a land without magic," she said. "I like it here better. Running water and cell phones are fantastic."

"So what's your real name?" He asked, leading her inside so they could check on Regina.

"Odette. But call me Emma," she insisted as they walked up the stairs. "It's easier."

He nodded. "Well my name is actually James," he told her. "And that seems to be what everyone is calling me now."

She nodded. "Okay, James."

The pair made it to the second floor, and David was surprised to find Regina had moved to the nursery. "Hey," he said softly.

She turned from the crib and smiled. "Hi."

"Brought a visitor," he told her. "Hope that's okay."

Emma came through the doorway, giving a little wave. "Emma, hi," Regina said with a small smile. She turned back to Henry's crib. "Henry, this is your Auntie Emma," she told him.

The blonde walked over to the crib and peeked in, seeing Henry for the first time. "Regina, he's beautiful," she said.

Regina smiled and nodded, ever the proud mama. James watched his fiancée and Emma with Henry from his position leaning on the doorway, arms folded, a smile on his face. The brunette took a deep breath. "Well, now that I have my energy back, I'm going to shower," she said. "Thank you for coming by, Emma," she said.

She left the room, giving James a little squeeze on the bicep and kissing his shoulder as she passed him. He heard their bedroom door close and looked to Emma. He directed a thumb toward his bedroom. "Do you mind if I—"

"Go," she said, carrying little Henry over to the rocking chair and sitting down. "It's been a long day for you two. I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Em," he said. Over the last few months, he and Emma had become good friends. She was adventurous and outdoorsy, and they'd gone fishing together a couple times. There was no doubt in his mind that he could trust her with the baby for a little while.

He heard the shower running and rapped his knuckles on the bathroom door as he opened it a crack. "Mind if I come in?" He asked.

She looked at him from the mirror. "Not at all." She was tense. He'd sensed it in Henry's room when he'd come back up. His and Emma's presence had helped, but he knew that as much as she pretended it didn't, the mob bothered her.

James wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down to give her a little kiss on the neck. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "Not at the moment, no," she said, tossing a bobby pin into its container with a little extra force.

"Babe, I know it bothered you—"

"Of course it did," she said, exasperation flooding her body. She turned to face him. "I worked so hard for almost a year to be friends with these people. To be nice to them. I was even polite to Snow!" She said. She was talking with her arms, which James knew meant she was extremely upset. Tears would start soon. "And yet as soon as the curse is broken, they forget about the friendships they've made with me. They forget that I've changed. I've been a good person while I've been here. Grumpy even sent me flowers when he found out I was pregnant!"

James laughed. "Yeah, it took everything I had to pretend that didn't shock me as much as it did," he agreed. Tears were flooding her eyes, and he wanted to lighten the mood, but he needed her to understand. He wrapped his arms around her waist laced his fingers together at the small of her back. "Regina, these people have been cursed with false identities for almost a year now. They're feeling a lot of things. They were separated from the ones they love. Not to mention they found out that this woman that they've befriended over the last eleven months is the woman who caused it all."

She looked away from him. "I know you don't want to hear that right now," he said, "But I think the first step toward reconciliation with the people of Storybrooke is to understand what it is they're feeling so you can make amends."

She allowed a tear to fall. "How?" She asked innocently. "It was so much easier when they didn't know all the horrible things I've done."

He took her face in his hands. "The same way I did," he told her before kissing her forehead. "Although I'd prefer if you didn't have sex with all of them." She laughed, the tears making her eyes sparkle. He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "We'll figure this out together."

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." He gave her another kiss before heading back to Henry's room, leaving his fiancée to shower. It had been a long day.

* * *

**Phew! I'm so glad I was able to give you all a new chapter finally. Please review and let me know how you liked it. Feel free to yell at me for taking so long, too. **


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